Marks & Spencer bolsters food team with new directors

Tesco strategy director Pav Anand has become Marks & Spencer’s head of food strategy and special products, The Times reported.

Sainsbury’s head of technical Lisa Raschia was named head of produce and horticulture.

Danish Crown supply chain director David Stokes becomes head of sourcing, and PwC’s Laurissa Kuligowski joins M&S as commercial strategy and operations director.

The four will report to M&S food commercial director George Wright, who arrived at the retailer from Tesco in April.

M&S Food managing director Stuart Machin informed staff of the appointments in a note. He said: ”We’re making good progress on our food transformation, but we know this is just the first stage of a multi-year plan.”

Machin is overseeing the re-energisation of M&S’s food business. He has sharpened prices and focused on supply chain improvements and sales volumes, as well as unveiling new format food halls and stores designed to better showcase M&S’ range and quality.

The appointments followed a capital markets morning last week, at which Machin emphasised that much remains to be done and said: “M&S was in a circle of decline for many years.”

M&S will take what it hopes will be a transformational step for its grocery business after creating a joint venture with online grocer Ocado. The tie-up will enable M&S to sell its food range online for the first time, and the venture is expected to go live next year.