Wholesale veteran Martin Williams is to retire after 50 years working in the food and drink sector.
He will be stepping down from his current roles as co-chair of The Wholesale Group at the end of July and as associate director of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors at the end of the year.
During his career, Williams held a number of roles, including 16 years as managing director of buying group Landmark Wholesale. He was also chairman of Confex for seven years, before becoming chair of The Wholesale Group when it launched in January 2025.
He then took on the role as FWD associate director in 2018, following his position as the trade association’s chair for the previous three years.
“I have worked in the food and drink sector for my entire career, and consider 50 years a personal achievement that I’m incredibly proud of,” said Williams. “Of that half century, 42 years have been spent in wholesale, and what a wonderful world it is.”
Speaking of his decision to step down from his current positions, he added: “Stepping away from both of these fantastic roles has been an incredibly difficult decision. Both organisations do such amazing work and make such a difference.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with them and their teams and witness their development and support their growth and I look forward to watching their continued success.”
The Wholesale Group joint managing director Jess Douglas said Williams was “integral to the successful launch” of the group, adding: “Martin was instrumental in our growth and success.”
FWD CEO James Bielby added: “Martin has been an incredible servant of wholesale generally and FWD in particular. From his spell as FWD chair to his years as associate director, he has helped transform FWD into the organisation it is today, trebling membership and revenues through his drive and determination.”
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