Superquinn managing director Dominic Galvin has shocked company staff, as well as the Irish trade, by resigning after just eight months in the job.
Galvin, one of a number of high-level management appointments following last year's takeover of the chain by Select Retail Holdings, an Irish business consortium, cited "personal reasons" for his decision. He is due to leave at the end of the month, but there has been no indication of his future plans, or if he intends to remain in the trade.
Inevitably, his surprise departure has led to speculation about the performance of the 22-store chain, with the latest TNS figures showing that its share of the €8bn Irish grocery market has slipped from 8.4% to 8.2%. But according to Superquinn's executive chairman, Simon Burke, "the business is doing a lot better than it was", and he added: "We're happy with the progress we're making, but there is still a long road to travel."
Galvin had previously held senior executive posts with Lego, the toy maker, and Foot Locker, an American footwear retailer. He had worked as a consultant with the Select Retail Holdings consortium as it prepared its €450m takeover bid for the chain, and moved from Spain to take up the MD role.