Spar has appointed Nick Bunker to take over as chairman of its food distributors board.
He will succeed Martin Agnew, the joint MD of Henderson Group, who has held the role since 2011. Agnew will continue to be a director on the board.
Bunker joins with 25 years’ board and stakeholder experience, holding a number of chairman and director roles across public, family, PE and JV businesses.
He spent 13 years with Kraft Foods, both in the UK and internationally, and was appointed president in 2010. He then became CEO of KP Snacks in 2012, a role he held for five years, then went on to be Pladis MD from 2017 to 2019.
His appointment marks the first time Spar has elected a chair from outside the organisation.
“The Spar brand is what connects us to our shoppers,” said Agnew. “It is how we distinguish ourselves as the leading symbol group in the UK. As convenience retail continues to change, our long-term strategy means we need to keep challenging ourselves.
“The appointment of Nick as non-executive chair will be a great addition to our ambitious growth plans. Nick has an outstanding track record of leadership and he will add strategic insight and a fresh perspective to the Spar business.”
Bunker added: “I am delighted to be joining the board of Spar Food Distributors and look forward to supporting the ambitious and collaborative growth plans of the business.
“The convenience market is evolving and the Spar brand has significant potential to develop further through its focus on compelling neighbourhood stores which deliver value, service and a great product range for customers.”
The Spar Food Distributors board aims to facilitate an efficient partnership between the five regional wholesalers, as well as bringing a “mutual commercial and customer benefit”. The chair role supported the future growth and development of Spar UK, the symbol group said.
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