FOOD & DRINK INDUSTRY - The Grocer
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HO
P E O P L E WE
SHAPE THRINK
FOOD & D
INDUSTRY
28 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukpower list 2015
↑
Matthew Barnes
CEO, Aldi UK
Last ranked: 12
Barnes is hot property. And
is it any wonder? Sure, Aldi
has just a 4.8% share, which
makes it a relative min-
now compared with Tesco’s
29.1%. But when Dave Lewis
tries to nod off at night, Aldi
will loom large in his night-
mares. He’s not alone. For
Aldi’s transformation under
Barnes (and Germany-bound
joint MD Roman Heini) has
wreaked havoc.
The very reason a price
war is raging at all is because
Aldi (and Lidl) have brought
price points way down and
dragged the major multiples
with them. And it’s costing
them dear.
Asda has pledged to invest
£1bn into lowering, or freez-
ing, price points to compete
with Aldi (although its boasts
about how it’s getting closer
simply serve as a reminder
of how much of an irritation
Aldi has become to them.)
Morrisons did the same,
pouring a billion into prices,
and making price-match-
ing Aldi (and Lidl) a key sell-
ing point of its Match & More
loyalty scheme, but it didn’t
work. Morrisons endured a
miserable Christmas and CEO “When Dave Lewis Heini cheerily insist two period, the big four were all
Dalton Philips was sacked. things: that they will never be showing negative growth.
Sainsbury’s announced tries to nod off at beaten on price, and that any So Aldi may be smaller
£150m worth of price cuts and night Aldi will price war will only play into than its rivals, but it’s by no
entered into a jv with Netto their hands. means any less powerful for
in a vain attempt to do some- loom large in his So far, they are being it. The big boys have gone
thing about Aldi poaching its nightmares. And proved right. Although the toe to toe with Aldi but failed
customers, although £150m is price gap is shrinking, a price to land a single meaningful
nowhere near enough and the he's not alone” gap remains. And although blow, while the discounter
15 Netto stores are nothing but Aldi’s sales have begun to is punching above its weight
an interesting, albeit promis- Dave Lewis is now radically slow down in recent months, and landing jab after jab.
ing, trial. scaling down its range by up it has very little to do with the So in 2015 the man who will
As for Tesco, when CEO to 30% – a decision rooted price war. Barnes and Heini take sole control at Aldi in
Philip Clarke was sacked last in Aldi’s strategy of simple, have insisted for at least two April as its UK CEO is number
year, the way he buried his uncomplicated ranging. years that its dizzying sales one on our Power List: Aldi
head in the sand over the In short, a great deal of hikes were never likely to be lifer Matthew Barnes, good
damage being done by the what the big four are up to sustainable. Besides, those humoured, smart, assured,
discounters was hailed as a right now has been influ- sales are still numbers that and with a huge amount of
key reason for his demise. enced by Aldi. And while Aldi’s rivals can only dream skill and passion for gro-
And as well as cutting mar- the big four work themselves of – up 22.6% at last count. cery retail. Small wonder
gins to cut prices, new CEO up into a lather, Barnes and By contrast, over the same Morrisons is courting him.
www.thegrocer.co.uk 7 February 2015 | The Grocer | 29power list 2015
NEW
Dave Lewis
Tesco CEO
Last ranked: –
Highlights of the new Tesco
CEO’s first four months in
charge include, to name but
a few, being parachuted in a
month early on the back of
haemmorhaging sales, dis-
covering a £263m financial
black hole, suspending nine
of his senior executives over
a serious fraud investigation
and closing or pulling the
plug on nearly 100 stores. Not
exactly your typical honey-
moon period.
Yet Tesco CEO Dave Lewis
has already shown signs he
is succeeding, where Philip
Clarke so obviously failed,
in the titanic task of fixing
the leaking supertanker. His
first focus was counterintui-
tive: sorting Tesco’s avail-
ability. Recruiting extra
shelf-stackers to fill the gaps
immediately endeared him
to frontline store staff. And
while head office won’t thank
Lewis for his £250m savings
programme – which includes
jettisoning Tesco’s final sal-
ary pension and even its
iconic Cheshunt HQ – the
ex-Unilever UK boss has
impressed the City with his
decisiveness.
Crucially Lewis has prom-
ised to reset the relationship
between Tesco buyers and its
suppliers to shift the empha-
sis from back margin to front
margin and simplify the buy-
ing process. Hundreds of buy-
ers are expected to leave as
part of the shakeup.
And in August, shoppers
will see the biggest evidence
yet of the new strategy, with
Tesco’s range set to reduce by
up to a third, as well as signif-
icant changes to its store lay-
outs. In short, Lewis has been
a busy man since taking over,
probably busier than even he
imagined. But he has shown
he’s more than prepared to
wield his newfound power.
30 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukpower list 2015
↓ helm of the fmcg giant, and
the dip in revenue fails to tell
the whole story. Looking at the
big picture, the group’s profits
Paul Polman are heading in the right direc-
CEO, Unilever tion, which suggests a strategic
Last ranked: 1 decision to focus on underly-
ing profitability over and above
At the pinnacle of our power increased volume.
rankings in 2013, Polman has And beyond the balance
faced an uphill struggle at sheet, the group continues to
Unilever ever since, reflected pursue the ambitious goal, con-
by his slide to number three. tained within the CEO’s much
Sales in 2014 declined by 2.7% lauded Sustainable Living
to £37.05bn, he announced Plan, to double in size, while
in January this year, a figure reducing its environmental
below expectations, which led footprint.
to shares dropping by 2.5%. It has also ramped up its
It won’t have been buoyed social responsibility quota fur-
further by the stark warning ther with the launch of Project
from Polman that these “chal- Sunlight, its sustainable living
lenging” conditions for the campaign, which it has backed
industry are unlikely to show with a series of lavishly pro-
significant improvement in duced TV ads. So it would be
the year ahead, with pros- hard to disagree that the Dutch
pects in emerging markets also CEO remains a bold and for-
hampered by tough economic ward thinking leader, unafraid
climates. to shake up the status quo, or to
Yet despite this, the former stand up to shareholders where
P&G man Polman remains needed to drive forward the
a dynamic figurehead at the business.
→ Patak’s and Blue Dragon are
also ticking along nicely. And ↑ With the big four, in the words
of Barry Williams (qv), “print-
the recently acquired Dorset ing money,” Asda reported a
Cereals brand has bolstered its 1.6% decline in third-quarter
George Weston presence in the cereal aisles, Andy Clarke like-for-like sales in November.
CEO, ABF where Jordans continues to CEO, Asda At the time, Clarke insisted
Last ranked: 4 perform well. Last ranked: 7 he was “pleased” with Asda’s
We also understand that performance in a tough mar-
It’s said that flour runs through Weston is in the market for Clarke kicked off the new year ket, but behind closed doors
the veins of the Weston family. further acquisitions in the by warning his fellow super- he must be demanding more.
If that’s the case, George Weston food space. And what will markets they were in for their That’s the context for his
may need a blood tranfusion. fund these acquisitions? Why, toughest 12 months yet – and deeply unpopular announce-
ABP’s Allied Bakeries business Primark, of course. With 29% he is fully aware Asda will be ment of a store-level restruc-
is in the thick of the bloody year-on-year profit growth, the no exception. ture last year, as part of a new
price war currently raging affordable fashion chain now Asda hasn’t suffered a monu- five-year cost saving plan, and
among the supermarkets, accounts for 55% of the group’s mental public meltdown (like his more recent announcement
and Weston’s sugar woes operating profits. And it’s for Tesco), or issued the mother of a stripped down board.
aren’t going away either, with this reason primarily that of all profit warnings (like It’s also worth noting that
continuing volatility over prices Weston maintains his position Morrisons), or written off hun- of the big four, Asda was the
and the health lobby identifying of power on our list. dreds of millions of pounds only one to increase market
sugar as its latest public enemy Primark is the Aldi/Lidl of (like Sainsbury’s). And it’s by share over Q3. And Clarke
number one. fashion, and it’s even giving running a stable and well-run also reported a 19.6% boost in
So why is Weston’s stock not Sir Philip Green a bloody nose, business that Clarke has risen online shopping. But his larg-
falling? In the first place, one while also plaguing Marks & in our ranking. But it must be est foes, the discounters, con-
has to give credit to some of Spencer’s Marc Bolland (qv), hugely frustrating for Clarke tinue to drag sales away from
ABF’s more resilient food busi- not to mention Asda’s George that his early moves to address Asda, and though Clarke is
nesses. On the tea front, Jon and Tesco’s F&F. So even if the threat from the discounters pouring millions into prices
Jenkins (qv) is doing a cracking bread and sugar are drag- have failed to result in a com- to win sales back, a price gap
job with its Twinings brand, ging him down at the moment, pelling uplift in sales. remains, making it a very
growing sales and share in a Weston has plenty of alterna- Growth has been marginal costly, and potentially futile,
declining market (cf Unilever). tives keeping him buoyant. at best, and sometimes worse. exercise.
www.thegrocer.co.uk 7 February 2015 | The Grocer | 31power list 2015
↑ than strong sales of Heston
Blumenthal’s deluxe desserts ↑ ↑
over Christmas. Indeed fes-
tive trading figures – clocking
Ronny Gottschlich up sales (excluding fuel) of Richard Cousins Marc Bolland
UK MD, Lidl, £728m for the five weeks end- CEO, Compass CEO, M&S
Last ranked: 36 ing 3 January 2015, a year-on- Last ranked: 11 Last ranked: 13
year jump of 7% – are even
Lidl has had a brilliant year more impressive against the Compass isn’t a grocer, but Bolland is still struggling
on all fronts. It’s continued to haemorrhaging sales reported when it comes to food and to lift clothing sales out of a
revamp existing stores and by his big four rivals. drink, there are few players downward spiral, and he’s
open new ones, and is enjoy- Substantial growth in its more powerful than Cousins. been plagued by online deliv-
ing soaring sales, up 15.1% online sales also shows Price With strong growth in ery issues, but after five years,
at last count, as it courts the is taking e-commerce seri- emerging markets and the strong new appointments
middle classes with a vastly ously, with a new 80,000 sq US, Compass Group profits on the womenswear side, a
increased range of Deluxe ft bespoke dotcom fulfilment before tax jumped 5.4% to string of star-studded ad cam-
goodies. centre in Surrey opening in £1.15bn in 2014, despite the paigns, and strong cashflow
In catching up with Aldi, March. But you’ve also got to strong pound. due to supplier rationalisa-
Gottschlich has also given credit Price for simple tricks Conditions in its European tion are easing analyst nerves
free rein to a savvy and crea- that keep customers on side: and Japanese markets have – even if Christmas trade
tive marketing department. following on from the success also improved. And Compass underwhelmed.
It’s deployed earned and of Waitrose Essential, he’s pledged to remove 50 million In the meantime, Bolland’s
social media to great effect, introduced free tea and coffee calories from meals by 2020 to earlier interventions on the
with ads in stores and in in conjunction with a simple fight obesity. food side – particularly the
papers, as well as skewering loyalty card. A sign of how highly focus on distinctive and
rivals – not least in a memo- The one concern (apart Cousins is regarded was the unique brands – are really
rable riposte to Morrisons’ from ongoing tensions with 8.3% bounce back in Tesco bearing fruit. Ably led by
Match & More. Gottschlich Ocado) must be Tesco. Can shares after he became a non- Steve Rowe (qv), M&S recently
also splashed out on a more it afford to keep matching its executive director in October announced plans to acceler-
conventional, but no less well prices as Dave Lewis sharp- (though he’s ruled himself out ate the already ambitious roll-
received, ad campaign. ens his pencil? of the chairman’s job). out of its convenience stores.
↑ ↑ NEW
Charles Wilson Mike Coupe Richard Pennycook
Booker CEO CEO, Sainsbury’s Group CEO, The Co-operative Group
Last ranked: 9 Last ranked: 27 Last ranked: –
Wilson has his finger on the Coupe’s promotion to CEO last Peter Marks seemed to rule
pulse, typified by the intro- summer was unanimously the Co-op like a rod of iron.
duction of his new Family welcomed, but his timing But arguably Pennycook is
Shopper fascia, a cross couldn’t have been worse. more powerful: the first CEO
between a discounter and With his predecessor leav- in The Co-operative Group’s
↑ a supermarket but with the
location and opening hours
ing ‘Justin’ time, the inevi-
table comparisons between
150-year history on the board
of directors, following a
of a c-store. He plans to grow Man Utd managers were much-needed overhaul of its
the estate to 400 inside four drawn when in his first quar- corporate governance.
Mark Price years. ter like-for-like sales slumped With a strong track record
MD, Waitrose Elsewhere, foodservice 2.8%. at Morrisons and in pri-
Last ranked: 8 is growing, Premier contin- The negative numbers have vate equity, Pennycook has
ues to thrive (with over 3,000 continued. In November, already steered The Co-op
While his contemporaries at stores), while Booker posted Coupe unveiled plans to cut from the brink of collapse
the big four prepare them- positive third-quarter like-for- back on store openings, make following the discovery of
selves for another year bat- like sales growth in January the most of underutilised a £2.5bn black hole in its
tling the discounters, Price and overtook P&H to become space in larger stores, and finances. With the disposals
has clearly made a virtue of the UK’s biggest wholesaler. continue to invest in price. (including all but a 20% stake
his upmarket position. “We And while sales at newly JS has also dropped Tesco in The Co-operative Bank),
want to be everything the dis- acquired Makro were down from Brand Match, will halve Pennycook is now freed up to
counters are not,” he says. 6.5% as it exited loss making Nectar reward values from ‘rebuild’ the Co-op from the
Waitrose customers are lap- categories, it’s back in profit April, and is making 500 ground up, with food as his
ping it up: look no further after losing money for years. office-based redundancies. primary focus.
32 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukpower list 2015
↑
Ronald Kers
CEO, Müller Group
Last ranked: 35
Kers completed a meteoric
rise to the top job at Müller
Group in January 2015, when
he took over as CEO from the
retiring Heiner Kamps. The
Dutchman, who also con-
tinues to oversee the Müller
UK & Ireland business, pre-
sided over the acquisition
of Wiseman Dairies and the
Minsterley desserts factory in
his time at the helm of the UK
business, and has delivered a NEW NEW →
remarkable turnaround in the
fortunes of the Müller brand
portfolio since joining the Andy Higginson Chris North Rakesh Kapoor
company in 2012. In turnover Chairman, Morrisons UK CEO, Amazon CEO, Reckitt Benckiser
terms, the UK business now Last ranked: – Last ranked: – Last ranked: 16
represents around a third of
the entire Müller group. Higginson was fast-tracked Amazon’s UK growth has Shares in Reckitt Benckiser
Continued volatility in the into the chairman’s seat in slowed and the possibility of have never been higher as
milk market saw Müller’s January and wasted no time launching a full-scale gro- Kapoor continues to focus his
farmgate milk price plum- flexing his muscles as he cery offer remains just that. efforts on consumer brands
met during 2014, as it cited showed CEO Dalton Philips Nevertheless, it’s already such as Dettol and Durex fol-
“record farm milk volumes the exit. signed up lots of ambient sup- lowing the demerger of the
and weak demand.” The cuts While praising the recent pliers. It’s also seducing cus- pharma division. However,
prompted several farmer pro- focus on price-cutting, tomers with its subscribe and RB has not been immune to
tests at its Market Drayton Higginson has indicated that save model, which offers sav- the slowdown in emerging
plant at the end of the year, Morrisons needs to be more ings to customers who com- markets – which has also hit
but the processor managed focused on sorting its super- mit to regular purchases of rivals Unilever, Diageo and
to hold its price for February markets rather than trying grocery. PZ Cussons – with full-year
2015. A proposed £80m acqui- to compete in growth mar- Though there is still no growth to come in at the lower
sition of Dairy Crest’s dairies kets such as convenience and sign of Amazon trialling end of the range. And a fine
(subject to approval by com- online. AmazonFresh (its fresh gro- of £540k in January from the
petition authorities) would It’s now in the plain-talk- cery delivery service) in the Financial Conduct Authority
see Müller pick up brands ing Lancastrian’s powers to UK, it has widened trials for delayed disclosure of
such as Frijj, and the Milk & appoint a CEO. Until he does in the US and established a share deals by two senior
More doorstep delivery ser- so there’s a power vacuum at beachhead in Germany. In executives [one of which is
vice, which would further Morrisons. And it’s a big deci- the meantime, none of the understood to be Kapoor him-
strengthen its position as a sion, with some analysts even big grocers will be sleeping self] has also taken some of
formidable competitor to Arla suggesting the supermarket soundly as they await the lat- the shine off the company’s
during 2015. may be dead and buried. est moves by North. image.
www.thegrocer.co.uk 7 February 2015 | The Grocer | 33power list 2015
↑
Martin Glenn
CEO, United Biscuits
Last ranked: 21
Glenn is not one to shy away
from big decisions. He pulled
out of an Aldi supply contract
(“It’s a fool’s errand to supply
a product that is effectively
cannibalising sales from the
brand”) and scrapped a pre-
viously introduced healthier
recipe for Digestives that cost
the previous management
£10m to develop. Bringing
all sweet lines under the
McVitie’s masterbrand, and
NEW ↑ ↑
savoury lines under Jacob’s,
Glenn also backed both with
serious marketing spend. Jason Tarry Ivan Menezes Alan Clark
Convenience sales have UK and group head of commercial, CEO, Diageo CEO, SAB Miller
been a key focus for Glenn, Tesco Last ranked: 38 Last ranked: 25
introducing a dedicated Last ranked: –
direct 60-strong sales force, If the Power List were only Peroni – SAB Miller’s biggest
new pack sizes and new price Some labelled him a fish based on market caps, the beer in the UK – continues
points to capitalise on the out of water after his promo- boss of Diageo would fea- to grow at an incredible lick,
c-store boom. These moves tion in December, but Tarry’s ture far higher on this list. while commanding by far
brought £18m growth in the appointment was “inspired,” But having replaced Paul the highest price of the top 10
brand – in a biscuit market say industry veterans who Walsh as CEO, Menezes is lagers.
down £57m overall. He’s also know him. looking like the fall guy: the The world’s largest brewer
made some shrewd invest- “He is a top bloke with good plummeting rouble and fal- is also a force to be reckoned
ments to grow his interna- experience in Tesco and the tering consumer confidence with in several global mar-
tional reach. grocery business,” says one in Russia have added to a kets, notably in Southern
In short, Glenn has been supplier. “Those who dis- decline in whisky sales in Africa. But having inher-
swift, decisive and bold, and miss him as not having a food China and other emerging ited command from the late
transformed the fortunes of background haven’t done markets, with pre-tax prof- Graham Mackay, Clark is
United Biscuits in barely 18 their homework.” its tumbling 23% to £1.6bn. under enormous pressure
months, achieving not only It won’t be easy replacing Closer to home, Western from a rampant AB InBev.
a successful exit for its pri- John Scouler, but F&F boss Europe is also proving chal- Clark’s overtures to num-
vate equity owners but huge Tarry has 25 years under his lenging as successful inno- ber-three brewer Heineken
investment moving forward. belt at Tesco in food and non- vation and the continued were widely seen as an
If he continues to deliver like food roles, and while trying to growth of Smirnoff is offset by attempt to shake off its
this, he should have no trou- build bridges with suppliers poor Guinness sales. There’s larger rival. With Heineken
ble keeping new owner Yildiz, he is also leading a complete even talk the black stuff will spurning its advances last
which splashed out £2bn for rethink and rationalisation of be sold off. And Diageo is also September, could SAB soon
UB, sweeet. Tesco’s offer. under fire over late payments. be gobbled up?
34 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukpower list 2015
NEW ↑ ↑
Dame Fiona Kendrick Richard Evans Jim McCarthy
Chairman and CEO, Nestlé UK President, W Europe/S.Africa, CEO, Poundland
Last ranked: – PepsiCo Last ranked: 44
Last ranked: 39
A Nestlé lifer, Kendrick took An experienced and worldly-
the top UK job in 2012 and Evans built Trivial Pursuit wise retailer, McCarthy has
immediately oversaw some of into a 80s icon as the game’s taken Poundland to heights
the firm’s biggest-ever man- business unit director for no one expected, and the lat-
ufacturing projects, includ- Europe some 30 years ago. est example was its £750m
ing a £500m spend on its UK
facilities. ↓ There’s nothing trivial about
what he’s been doing at
flotation last March. Its valua-
tion shot up to £925m follow-
Under her leadership many PepsiCo, either – as recog- ing frenzied early trading.
of Nestlé’s most important nised by his promotion a That’s because Europe’s
categories are booming, with Tim Steiner year ago to run the whole of biggest fixed price retailer
Buxton and San Pellegrino CEO, Ocado Europe from its Geneva HQ. continues to grow, report-
enjoying strong double-digit Last ranked: 22 Closer to his Berkshire ing a 12% increase in half-
growth, and coffee sales home, Evans has consist- year profits to £9.3m last
(notably through Dolce Gusto Steiner has adjusted well to ently achieved growth in the November, solidifying its
and Nespresso) in similarly the departure of his Ocado recession, not only through position as one of the best-
impressive form. co-founder Jason Gissing its on-trend Quaker Oats performing stocks in fmcg.
A formidable operator, the in February last year, lead- brand but via Pepsi Max and If Poundland sold more
respect Kendrick has earned ing the online supermarket Walkers – its most potent groceries, we would rank
from industry peers saw to solid growth. In the seven brands but ones that operate McCarthy higher still. But
her elected president of the days to Christmas, its cus- in a potentially incendiary the former Sainsbury’s exec
FDF last November, and she tomer fulfilment centres pro- environment. Ironically only is certainly showing the gro-
was included in the Queen’s cessed almost 40% more Tropicana has really suffered cers a trick or two. No wonder
Birthday Honours in January. items for Ocado.com and- in the war on sugar. Morrisons is courting him.
Morrisons.com than over the
same period last year. And in
NEW this week’s full year results,
Steiner announced a £7.2m
NEW ↑
profit – Ocado’s first annual
profit since it started operat-
Andrew Moore ing 15 years ago. Steve Rowe Patrick Coveney
CMO, Asda Despite a sceptical analyst Executive director of food, M&S CEO, Greencore
Last ranked: – community, Ocado’s share Last ranked: – Last ranked: 49
price is still sky high, thanks
Moore joined Asda in 2008 to the former Goldman Sachs Rowe’s drive, infectious After successfully integrat-
as director of George, and it’s banker’s skilful negotiations, enthusiasm and attention to ing Uniq’s desserts business,
consistently been a bright continued innovation and detail have not gone unno- Greencore was unfortu-
spot during an otherwise flat ambitious plans for the future ticed: he won The Grocer Cup nately (and falsely) sucked
few years in terms of growth. of online retailing, in which last year. And no wonder. An into Horsegate in 2013, but by
His promotion last month data on each individual con- ambitious Simply Food store refocusing operations away
– part of a restructure sumer’s dietary needs, health expansion programme was from tainted ready meals
announced by Andy Clarke quirks and household budg- recently accelerated. And a and into booming food to go,
last month – means that as ets will be used to personalise makeover of the department sales, profits and its share
well as George and general the experience. stores, with artisanal baker- price have all soared. It’s won
merchandise, Moore takes One potential weak spot is ies, high-end delis, fresh pro- heaps of new business and
responsibility for food. a break clause in its Waitrose duce showcased in farmers’ invested £30m on new plant
It’s a big job, and the like- contract in 2017. And some market-style wooden crates, and machinery in the UK. But
able Moore will have his work analysts have suggested the and distinctive and unique it’s cracking the US that sees
cut out to achieve parity with Morrisons CEO may also opt brands, has helped deliver 20 Coveney rising up the ranks.
the discounters on price, but out of what was a very lucra- consecutive quarters of like- A successful template has
with COO Mark Ibbotson tive deal for Ocado. Yet, what- for-like growth. Indeed food been established on the East
moving to the US (p69), ever the outcome, Ocado has was once again the saving Coast to service Starbucks
Moore has emerged as the enhanced its reputation as a grace in an otherwise lacklus- and 7-Eleven with food to go.
biggest winner. If he can have world class online retail oper- tre Christmas for M&S, with He’s now rolling it out on the
the same effect in food as he ation and expansion in the sales up 2.8% in Q3, and rock- West Coast, helped by a £27m
has in fashion, who knows UK and globally may not be eting by a very healthy 17% investment, and with more to
where it might lead? too far away, either. over the Christmas week. come.
www.thegrocer.co.uk 7 February 2015 | The Grocer | 35power list 2015
↑ ↑ NEW
Barry Williams Irwin Lee Stuart Quickenden
CCO, Asda UK & Ireland MD, P&G UK MD, Boston Consulting Group
Last ranked: 40 Last ranked: 46 Last ranked: –
The new year brought a pro- While many of its core house- Coming out of nowhere is a
motion for Williams, replac- hold sectors are still in the relatively unknown quantity
ing Steve Smith as Asda’s doldrums and subject to that nevertheless has pow-
chief customer officer, with fierce competition from the erful and serious implica-
responsibility for Asda’s mar- discounters, Lee has done tions for literally thousands
keting, customer insight,
store proposition and health ↓ a great job navigating P&G
through a double-dip reces-
of suppliers who deal with
Tesco – not to mention Tesco’s
strategies. sion and coming out the other commercial teams. Led by
CEO Andy Clarke said side, as he puts it, in charge president and CEO Lesser,
Williams’ “absolute focus on Malcolm Walker of a “vibrant, energetic, high management consultancy
doing the right things for our CEO, Iceland morale organisation” that’s BCG has been appointed by
customers meant he was the Last ranked: 15 moved successfully into hair- Tesco to carry out a root and
natural choice” for the role. care and toothpaste at the branch assessment of its
Industry insiders also sug- After years of growth, same time. ranging across 40 categories.
gest that Williams, who has Iceland’s sales are thawing. He’s also proved he can Using Dunnhumby data, and
developed an excellent repu- Or to put it in the words of work with the discounters, with a licence to simplify the
tation among suppliers (and chairman and CEO Walker, in identifying them early as range – and potentially cut
colleagues) as its commercial a speech last week: “The last an opportunity as well as a out its buyers from the list-
director (or CMO) for food, is two, three years have been threat if managed correctly. ing process – the end result is
being groomed for bigger and so tough and our profits this His next task: to disconnect expected to see up to 30% of
better things in a role that year are about half, so we are Duracell, Iams and other P&G Tesco’s range delisted ready
will stretch and broaden his in deep s***.” disposals, without affecting for a late August back-to-
perspective. It’s not hard to see why: the the core. school refit of Tesco’s shop.
rise of the discounters and the
resultant supermarket price
NEW war means even hefty price
cuts have not gained trac- ↓ ↑
tion or resulted in a boost to
footfall.
John Rogers The result: sales down Jonathan Warburton Zameer Choudrey
CFO, Sainsbury’s 0.4% to £598m in the 12 Chairman, Warburtons CEO, Bestway
Last ranked: – weeks to 4 January, accord- Last ranked: 30 Last ranked: 68
ing to Kantar Worldpanel.
Sainsbury’s has had a tough Even offering shoppers lob- A fifth-generation Warburton, The CEO of Britain’s second-
time of it lately, but Rogers is sters for a fiver – taking a leaf Jonathan is steering the busi- largest cash & carry firm has
considered an excellent CFO out of Aldi and Lidl’s book – ness through tough times – its shot up the Power List.
and has been tipped to take failed to boost “bloody awful” bread sales were down £50m It’s not so much the fact
the top job (or another CEO Christmas trading. last year as shoppers turned that Bestway remains in
role elsewhere). One bright spot appears to their backs on traditional growth, though it most cer-
In the meantime, he’s been be the launch of Iceland’s new sliced loaves. tainly is, thanks to selec-
helping CEO Mike Coupe (qv) fascia, the Food Warehouse. But Warburton has been tive acquisitions and symbol
with its balance sheet restruc- “We now have six and they consistently ahead of the group sign-ups.
ture, and is the only other are going like a train,” says curve when it comes to evolv- Choudrey’s elevation is
director on the executive Walker. “The trouble is we ing trends like gluten free, down to his £620m acqui-
board. Promoted to CFO in have 850 of the other ones to and has enjoyed such strong sition of The Co-operative
2010, Rogers has been an out- sort out but I am sure we will. growth in ‘sandwich alterna- Group’s highly profitable
spoken critic of business rates We have done it twice, three tives’ like wraps and thins it pharmacy business.
and, since Justin King left, his times before so of course we plans to invest £20m in a new Choudrey has bided his
prowess with the media has are going to do it. What hap- plant in Burnley, Lancashire, time looking for a comple-
also come to the fore. pens when you get to this to provide extra capacity. mentary acquisition to its
His stewardship as he engi- point is the excitement comes Now he’s teaming up with wholesale grocery business,
neered the buyout of RBS back into the business and it Sylvester Stallone for a new and in pharmacies it may
from its Sainsbury’s Bank jv really is exciting, there is a big ad campaign. And if anyone well have tapped a lucrative
was widely praised, and he’s challenge in front of us.” can save bread against the growth opportunity.
also assumed responsibility And who would put it past odds, it’s Sly – with Jonathan If it delivers as he expects,
for property. Walker to do it all again? right beside him, of course. he will rise further.
36 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukpower list 2015
↑
David Forde
MD, Heineken
Last ranked: 51
Forde has been with the
brewer for 26 years, but he’s
anything but stuck in his
ways. As well as skilled cat-
egory management (in the on
as much as the off-trade), his
relentless drive to innovate
has seen Heineken thrive in a
challenging market, notably
through beer products like
Foster’s Gold, Foster’s Radler
and Desperados.
Under Forde Heineken has
↓ ↓ NEW
also got to grips with cider as
a category, diversifying and
experimenting with flavour Ranjit Singh Matt Hill Paul Mills-Hicks
combinations such as Dark CEO, 2 Sisters Food Group Zone president, Heinz Europe Food director, Sainsbury's
Fruit, helping the Strongbow Last ranked: 5 Last ranked: 33 Last ranked: –
brand grow 10.3% in value
over 2014. A bumpy 2014 saw the Since the acquisition of Heinz Mills-Hicks was promoted
However, he’s culled a cou- Birmingham-based food by Berkshire Hathaway and to this new role in May last
ple of products too, notably giant report losses of £143m 3G Capital in 2013, Hill’s year as part of a wider man-
White Lightning, in a drive by as “transformational” skilled turnaround of its UK agement reshuffle ahead of
Heineken to demonstrate its restructuring costs took a operations have not gone Coupe’s appointment as CEO.
support for the government’s heavy toll on the balance unrecognised: he’s now run- Effectively in Coupe’s role,
responsibility deal, with sheet. 2 Sisters also became ning the whole of Europe, and Sainsbury’s supply chain,
Forde telling The Grocer it had embroiled in a campylobacter carrying out a fairly brutal own-label, space & formats
become a “problem brand” media storm after two poul- restructure of its operations. and food category teams all
and that Heineken was a try processing plants were He needs to. Beans sales report to him. He’s spent more
“very responsible” brewer, exposed by The Guardian are now flat, but soup is in than 10 years at Sainsbury’s
highlighting its ad campaign newspaper for alleged decline, WeightWatchers is in roles including executive
that urged drinkers to ‘Dance hygiene breaches. However, a big worry, while the sale of assistant to Justin King and
More, Drink Slow.’ subsequent investigations table sauces (ketchup not- director of trading finance.
Forde is also investing into both plants, ordered by withstanding) isn’t exactly This could be his most chal-
heavily in the UK, building a health secretary Jeremy Hunt, booming. lenging role yet in a period
new £58m plant in Hereford found no improvements were Where Hill is involved, of intense change for the sec-
to bring all of Heineken’s required. Nonetheless, Singh however, there will always be tor. He’s already waded into
cider production under one will be hoping new manage- a commitment to innovate in the milk price war debate,
roof, with more investment ment talent, including former terms of NPD and marketing, explaining what it pays its
planned around the UK later Adams Foods CEO Ian Toal, whether that’s moving into milk farmers in ads that
this year to keep Heineken will ensure a less volatile 2015 gluten free or offering person- bravely included a list of what
moving forward. for the Chicken King. alised soups. its rivals pay too.
www.thegrocer.co.uk 7 February 2015 | The Grocer | 37power list 2015
↑ ↑ NEW ↑
Simon Litherland Arora Brothers Janet McCollum Steve Murrells
CEO, Britvic Co-founders, B&M CEO, Moy Park CEO retail, The Co-operative Group
Last ranked: 45 Last ranked: 58 Last ranked: – Last ranked: 59
The past couple of years have It was another big year for the Moy Park’s CEO is the first As the wider group lurched
been quite a ride for Britvic three Arora brothers – Simon, woman to head Northern from one toe-curling crisis
CEO Simon Litherland. In Bobby and Robin – who made Ireland’s biggest company, to another over the past 18
September 2012, the then GB over £1bn from the flotation and oversaw a successful months, The Co-operative
head – only recently recruited of B&M Bargains, the variety World Cup campaign (tied Group Food boss Murrells
from Diageo – found himself discount chain they started in in with the sponsorship deal has just got on with the job:
surplus to requirements after 1978, in the summer. of Moy’s Brazilian parent, turning around a business
Britvic accepted a takeover The brothers registered Marfrig) in 2014 that boosted that, while perfectly posi-
bid from AG Barr. their office in Luxembourg its profile on the global stage. tioned to tap the convenience
A disastrous £25m and used the listing to sup- And continued strong trend, has underperformed
Robinsons Fruit Shoot recall port ambitious expansion demand for locally sourced for years.
had placed Britvic on the plans across Europe, follow- poultry is set to ensure Moy Murrells has focused on
back foot, and the share price ing the acquisition of German and McCollum’s status as key basics – overhauling store
was in the doldrums. But discounter JA Woll. strategic partners for the UK operations, rolling out a new
seizing the moment afforded They kept going in the UK, supermarkets during the year store format, lowering prices,
by the deal’s referral to the too, opening their 400th B&M ahead. improving range – and built
competition authorities – and store this year, selling its typi- But all eyes are on an almost completely new
CEO Paul Moody’s departure cal blend of toys, furniture McCollum as she preps Moy team to execute his plans.
– Litherland countered Barr’s and – in recent times – gro- Park for what could be one of It’s working: like-for-
proposals with an alterna- cery. It makes B&M a pow- UK food and drink’s highest- like sales for the year to 31
tive strategy that mapped out erful player in the discount profile IPOs this year. She’s December 2014 were up 0.5%,
Britvic’s future as a firmly world, and chairman Sir Terry ready and waiting for the or 3.5% in its core conveni-
independent player, but with Leahy is quite useful too. market conditions to be right. ence estate.
its fortunes vastly improved
through – among other
measures – the closure of its
Chelmsford HQ and spring
water factory in Huddersfield.
Litherland’s proposals were
warmly welcomed by share-
holders, and having seized
power, the soft drinks firm
has been quietly re-establish-
ing itself as one of the sector’s
top performing stocks in 2014.
Sales slowed in the sum-
mer and Robinsons volumes
are under pressure, but the
Zimbabwe-born CEO has
impressed the City by improv-
ing profit margins and deliv-
ering product innovation.
38 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukpower list 2015
NEW NEW ↓
Sean Upson Paul Schaafsma Paul Lindley
Partner, Stewarts Law GM UK & Ireland, Accolade Wines Entrepreneur
Last ranked: – Last ranked: – Last ranked: 31
Stewarts is the largest litiga- As the boss of the biggest Lindley thinks big and
tion-only law firm in the UK. wine company in the UK, brave. After the huge suc-
And it’s set its sights on Tesco. Schaafsma is in a powerful cess of Ella’s Kitchen and its
Stewarts is bringing a law- position to influence what the £103m sale to Hain Celestial,
suit against the retailer in the UK drinks. Lindley is back with Paddy’s
↑ wake of the infamous £263m
overstatement in its accounts.
But he’s also been look-
ing inwards to make sure
Bathroom, a range of toddler-
friendly bathroom products,
It could be a very costly Accolade doesn’t just get which is launching Stateside
exercise for Tesco. And it sucked into the promotional first (in 500 Target stores)
Christine Tacon isn’t hanging around, either vortex, radically shaking up before going into Tesco in the
GCA – it’s intent on bringing its the structure of the company UK, with other retailers set to
Last ranked: 78 case before a judge inside six in a “right-sizing” move. follow.
months, rather than waiting His actions appear to be As well as attractive, col-
It’s taken a while, but the for the Serious Fraud Office to paying off. In a category with ourful packaging, central to
Groceries Code Adjudicator conclude its inquiry. flat sales and falling volumes, the proposition is a socially
finally went on the attack this Upson and his team will Accolade has been cleaning beneficial agenda. It’s at the
week, launching an inves- allege directors and senior up, with all three of its major heart of everything he does –
tigation into Tesco that is management knew or were brands – Hardys, Echo Falls hence the Drop by Drop cam-
expected to take up to nine reckless as to whether Tesco’s and Kumala – seeing healthy paign, which provides clean
months and could result in a statements to the market were growth, a three-year deal water to villages in Rwanda.
hefty fine for the retailer. untrue or misleading and/or signed with Tesco, and the Oh, and he’s still running
It’s been a busy couple of dishonestly concealed its true launch of its own online retail Hain’s global babyfood busi-
weeks for Tacon, starting with position. service, Hardys 1853 Club. ness. Part-time, obviously.
her appearance on the recent
and now infamous Tesco epi-
sode of Panorama, where she
explained how she was, effec-
↑ ↓ NEW
tively, hamstrung by being
unable to fine offenders.
Days later, the government Tony Reed Roger White Ibrahim Najafi
swung into action, appalled CEO, One Stop CEO, AG Barr CEO, R&R
not by the treatment meted Last ranked: 77 Last ranked: 17 Last ranked: –
out to suppliers by Tesco over
the years – treatment that Since March 2011 Reed has By the time the Competition Najafi is not short of ambi-
led to GSCOP, and the posi- transformed One Stop from Commission eventually gave tion. Within a year of taking
tion of GCA, existing in the a ‘Tesco shadow brand’ to a the thumbs up to AG Barr’s the helm of the Yorkshire-
first place – but the brou- convenience store chain in its long-awaited merger with based supplier in 2013, the
haha over the plight of dairy own right. Following a series Britvic, the latter had got former R&R factory manager
farmers (one of the few areas of acquisitions, the chain now cold feet, so CEO Roger White has targeted sales of more
where Tesco appears whiter boasts more than 700 com- never had the chance to lead than €1bn through rapid
than white, and taking Tacon pany-owned stores, which the soft drinks juggernaut international expansion (cur-
on to turf over which she has it has been steadily revamp- that would have resulted. rently revenues are just over
no say). ing by introducing extended It didn’t totally mat- €700m a year) and an IPO is
Tacon is now set to be chilled ranges and addi- ter – White declared Barr understood to be a distinct
granted the power to fine tional services. Last year, it “stronger, fitter and more possibility.
retailers up to 1% of their launched a franchise offer – ambitious” after announcing The maker of ice cream
domestic turnover for seri- a move that really shook the a profit increase of 9.6% for for brands such as Nestlé,
ous breaches of the Groceries independent retail sector. It 2013. It’s since announced a Cadbury and Ribena is cer-
Supply Code of Practice and, already has 90 stores and as deal (in September) to bring tainly going about it the right
as of Thursday morning, she well as attracting non-affili- the all-American juice drink way. Having snapped up
has Tesco in her sights. As ated indies, has also taken on brand Snapple to the UK and Lancashire-based Fredericks
a result she has rocketed up some high-profile indie sym- this week bought cocktail Dairies in 2013, a £250m
the Power List – and depend- bol retailers from the likes of mixer business Funkin for up swoop for Australian busi-
ing on the outcome of her first Londis and Premier. A Tesco to £21m – a move that takes ness Peters Food Group in
investigation, next year could lifer, Reed’s influence spreads Barr into the more adult alco- 2014 cemented its position in
see her move higher still. beyond One Stop to Cheshunt. holic drinks mixer sector. yet another global territory.
www.thegrocer.co.uk 7 February 2015 | The Grocer | 39power list 2015
↑ NEW
Ken McMeikan Christopher Rogers
CEO, Brakes MD, Costa
Last ranked: 75 Last ranked: –
McMeikan – and his five- When Whitbread appointed
year plan – has lifted food- Christopher Rogers as MD in
service giant Brakes out of 2012, the assumption was the
debt, boosted total sales and coffee shop chain would be
increased pre-tax profits. spun off into a separate IPO,
McMeikan is now rolling out and that now looks likely
multi-temperature delivery to happen after Whitbread
vehicles, and has introduced bought back Life Coffee Cafés.
e-commerce. But most impor- Until then, Costa continues to
tant was the recent acquisi- expand aggressively on high
tion of Fresh Direct, giving streets, in shopping precincts,
Brakes access to next day through c-store franchises
deliveries nationwide. and abroad.
↑ ↑
Steve Pappas Hans Roelofs
MD, Costco CEO, Refresco Gerber
Last ranked: 88 Last ranked: 65
Previously hampered by Whether it’s a massive takeo-
property and planning ver bid for Refresco Gerber,
issues, Costco is now fast or a stock market flotation,
boosting its UK presence – rumours around the €2bn
it opened its 26th UK depot soft drink and fruit juice bot-
last August and has plans to tler suggest Roelofs will have
open a purpose-built DC in his hands full over the next
Northamptonshire this year. 12 months trying to find the
Last summer, it also opened right option for the business.
its first UK forecourt sell- Blackstone is just one of a
ing the UK’s cheapest fuel to number of private equity suit-
members – further forecourts ors said to be weighing up a
are expected this year. mega deal. Watch this space.
↓ ↑ well as trialling new formats,
like the posh Greggs Moment NEW
outlets, which were the polar
Hubert Patricot Roger Whiteside opposite of a typical Greggs. Peter Gioertz-Carlsen
European president, CCE CEO, Greggs However, sales had gone into Executive vice president,
Last ranked:24 Last ranked: 98 decline. So, upon his arrival, Arla Foods UK
Whiteside’s approach was to Last ranked: –
Like it or lump it, Coca-Cola When Whiteside took over get back to basics and play to
is the anti-hero of the war on Greggs in 2013, predecessor Greggs’ strengths. That meant Gioertz-Carlsen succeeded
sugar, and amid all the neg- Ken McMeikan was seen as limiting the wholesale arm, Peter Lauritzen last year.
ative publicity, sales have a tough act to follow. Clearly, axing the experimental for- Members of the dairy co-op
been hit. That’s prompted the Whiteside didn’t get the memo mats and reburbishing the bore the brunt of a collapse in
embattled Patricot and his and quickly set about disman- tired existing estate rather than milk prices during 2014, while
Atlanta partners to adopt traf- tling much of what McMeikan build new stores. His reward job losses were announced in
fic-light labelling in the UK – had been working towards. has been to take a distracted November. On a more posi-
a decision that was not taken McMeikan had looked to business that had started to tive note, Arla bagged an
lightly – and to launch lower expand and diversify the high struggle and make it strong improved milk contract with
sugar Coke Life. Patricot now street baker, introducing a pop- again, a decisive performance Morrisons in January, while
plans to roll it out across all ular wholesale arm to supply that sends him rocketing up Lactofree and Anchor cheese
his European territories. frozen products to Iceland, as the Power List in 2015. recorded strong sales growth.
40 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukpower list 2015
↑
Adam Couch
CEO, Cranswick
Last ranked: 66
Couch delivered a perky year
for Cranswick in 2014, steer-
ing the pork giant to a decent
11.4% uplift in pre-tax prof-
its for the six months to 30
September. Couch also went
upmarket with the purchase
of Hull-based Benson Park –
lauded by analysts as a good
diversification move – which
saw Cranswick take its first
tentative steps into the pre-
mium poultry category.
NEW NEW
Mark Taylor Mary Barnard
UK property director, Aldi UK president, Mondelez
Last ranked: – Last ranked: –
Like Lidl’s property man Barnard has a ton of experi-
Danny Hazlehurst (qv), his ence marketing power brands
chief rival when it comes to after a career working with
snapping up sites, Taylor has Hovis, PepsiCo and Walkers,
been charged with doubling among others. According to
the size of the Aldi estate, Mondelez that made her a
the only difference being he “perfect fit” for its newly cre-
has a target to hit – approxi- ated Northern Europe divi-
mately 500 sites by 2022. It’s a sion when she started in
tall order, but with landlords October, having previously
aware Aldi will be a solid ten- been MD of the Nordics.
ant for years to come, he may However, she endured a
not struggle to achieve it. tricky start, walking into
what she describes as a “piv-
otal time” for the company
NEW only for the Cadbury owner
to find itself dragged into the ↓ NEW
growing issue of late pay-
Ugo Arizani ment of suppliers. Barnard Fiona Dawson Andy Duncan
Head of consumer and retail, Qatar has also had to handle some Global president, Mars Food CEO, Camelot UK
Investment Authority sticky questions from con- Last ranked: 37 Last ranked: –
Last ranked: – sumers who were upset that
Mondelez reformulated its Dawson took up her new Camelot has more than
Since a failed takeover bid in iconic Cadbury Cream Egg, as global role last month, lead- 47,000 terminals in the
2008, the Qatar Investment well as dropping the famous ing a portfolio of Mars stal- UK, and with average tak-
Authority has held 26% of half dozen pack down to just warts including Uncle Ben’s ings of £8,000 a year on lot-
Sainsbury’s shares. They five. But the first woman at and Dolmio. Formerly head tery tickets alone, they’re in
haven’t performed well: QIA the helm of the famous choc- of the UK chocolate business, high demand. MD since 2011,
is down £1.4bn. What next? olate empire can also point Dawson has been at Mars Duncan was credited with
Well, polar opposite theories to a £75m investment in its since joining as a graduate in turning around the long-term
persist, that newly appointed historic Bourneville HQ as 1988, and is a former winner decline of its flagship game
Arizani will cut its losses, or a sign of intent, and sales of of The Grocer Cup following Lotto. Following the retire-
launch another bid. Given Cadbury Dairy Milk continue her leadership, as IGD presi- ment of long-serving CEO
Sainsbury’s recent financials, to fly, five years on from the dent, in response to the grow- Dianne Thompson last year,
it may be more successful. controversial takeover. ing obesity epidemic. his challenge is to keep it up.
42 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukpower list 2015
↓ ↓
Credit: Photo by James Shaw/REX
Paul Conway Mark Allen
Vice chairman, Cargill CEO, Dairy Crest
Last ranked: 32 Last ranked: 63
A sharp fall in commodi- Allen may shed a tear over the
ties prices meant Cargill loss of brands such as Frijj as
had a mixed 2014, but under part of Dairy Crest’s proposed
Conway the commodities sale of its dairies business
giant remains a force to be to Müller, but there are rea-
reckoned with, reporting a sons to be cheerful, too. The
41% jump in quarterly profits divestment will allow Dairy
to $784m in January. Conway Crest to concentrate on its
is increasingly focusing on profitable butter and cheese
China, where a spate of food division, and has been widely
safety scandals is opening lauded as potentially “trans-
up new opportunities for the formational” by analysts
company. (though see p10).
NEW NEW players like Dr Oetker have
seen sales skyrocket. NEW
Even brand new entrants to
Tristram Stuart Mary Berry / the category like Poundland Ian Macdonald
Food waste campaigner Paul Hollywood have cashed in. The fixed price Chairman, SACN
Last ranked: – Celebrity bakers discounter hired celebrity Last ranked: –
Last ranked: – baker Jane Asher to promote a
Young and charismatic, range of bakery products from The prof from Nottingham
Stuart is the perfect person to With the huge success of the scales to cake mix, all priced chairs SACN’s carbohy-
make food waste an appeal- Great British Bake Off, drawing at £1, which rapidly became drates working group, which
ing issue to the masses. The in more than 10 million viewers its biggest and fastest selling dropped a bombshell on the
author and campaigner’s per episode to its 2014 series, range ever. industry last summer by call-
charity Feedback has already this unlikely pair have put bak- With Berry the new Delia, ing for the recommended
spun off three national ing back on the map – and and Hollywood baking’s daily limit of sugar intake
campaigns, including The baking products have hit new answer to George Clooney, to be halved. With SACN’s
Gleaning Network UK, which heights of popularity with UK there is no doubt the pair have potentially seismic final
featured on a TV documen- shoppers. sparked a bakery renaissance. report due out in the spring,
tary starring Jamie Oliver just Supermarkets now devote And with a sixth series of GBBO Macdonald has so far shown
this month, and its profile is several bays to home baking heading to the BBC it looks he is anything but a patsy for
only growing. products and existing bakery likely to continue. the food and drink industry.
NEW ↓ ↓ ↓
Eric Herd David Salkeld Peter Blakemore Gavin Darby
CEO, Farmfoods CEO, Symington’s MD, AF Blakemore CEO, Premier Foods
Last ranked: – Last ranked: 48 Last ranked: 67 Last ranked: 55
The biggest recluse in the Salkeld has steered Led by Blakemore, Spar’s Streamlining its supply base
business? Very possibly. Yet Symington’s through a period biggest wholesaler recorded and setting up jvs for Hovis
just because Herd is quiet of rapid expansion, snapping a 7.4% increase in prof- and its powders business,
doesn’t mean he isn’t mak- up Ragu and Chicken Tonight its last year, alongside a 5% Darby had just completed a
ing big moves in the fro- from Unilever in 2011 and increase in sales, after reap- £1.1bn restructuring plan last
zen food sector. Last year, ready meal maker Tanfield ing the rewards of a newly March when a profit warn-
a fierce investment in price Foods last October. Now eyes introduced price reduction ing from Morrisons triggered
points saw customers flood in are on his next move, with strategy and the acquisition a 75% decline in its share
and Farmfoods’ sales rocket whispers linking Symington’s of two of its smaller rivals, price. But despite falling pow-
by over 40%, even higher to a sale or float. One priority Lowries and BA Cash & Carry. der brand sales and an outcry
than Aldi’s like-for-like sales will be fixing a 7% profit drop Blakemore is also investing in over its treatment of suppli-
increases, putting the wind in its annual accounts despite online, new hires and build- ers, its shares are up in 2015
up larger rival Iceland. a 5% sales boost. ing a new export arm. as the sales decline slows.
www.thegrocer.co.uk 7 February 2015 | The Grocer | 43power list 2015
NEW NEW
Danny Hazlehurst Bernard Deryckere
UK property director, Lidl CEO, Alpro Europe
Last ranked: – Last ranked: –
As the big four freeze their Alpro’s meteoric rise since
previously relentless advance it was founded in 1980 has
or start selling off existing accelerated under Deryckere
stores, the discounters keep in 2014, with a raft of NPD hit-
speeding up. Tasked with rap- ting chillers to capitalise on
idly acquiring new stores for growing demand for dairy
Lidl, Hazlehurst is thought alternatives. The brand’s
to be focusing on the South soya-based drink is now the
East. However, MD Ronny third bestselling dairy drink
Gottschlich is acutely aware in the UK, on the back of a
of the importance of getting 28.3% hike in value sales
the site right, and with high to £74m [Nielsen 52 w/e 11
demand, it won’t be easy. October 2014].
NEW NEW how he framed the Trust’s
figures. NEW
Despite meeting such hos-
Diana Hunter Chris Mould tility on occasion, Mould has Per Bank
CEO, Conviviality Retail Chairman, The Trussell Trust overseen a rapid growth in the CEO, Netto
Last ranked: – Last ranked: – demand for food banks since Last ranked: –
he took the reins in 2007, which
Proving there’s still life in Powerful if only for his will- fed fewer than 30,000 people a Three years after leaving the
the off-licence sector with ingness to speak out about year when he started, and are UK with a £778m cheque in
the right model, Conviviality the depressing state of food estimated to feed more than a its pocket courtesy of Asda’s
Retail, which owns the poverty that exists in the UK, million this year. acquisition of its UK opera-
lively Bargain Booze chain, Mould proved himself to be an And in the coming months tion, Netto, led by CEO Bank,
reported a 46% increase in outspoken advocate for food there’ll be a growing need for surprised everyone by return-
half-year profits last month banks during evidence to the the industry to pay attention ing in November, in partner-
following its 2013 flotation. Panel on the Independence of to his insights, in particular in ship with Sainsbury’s. Its
This week’s acquisition of the Voluntary Sector in June regards to the redistribution footprint is absolutely tiny,
GT News will add another 37 last year. He spoke, ominously, of surplus food, and the ways just 15 stores to begin with,
stores. It’s also developing of a conversation with “some- in which retailers can partner but if it can make an acquisi-
new formats, and launched a one in power” who warned him with charities to help alleviate tion of its own, it could be a
mobile loyalty scheme app. to think more carefully about food poverty in the UK. force to be reckoned with.
NEW NEW NEW NEW
Kevin Brennan Debbie Robinson Professor Chris Elliott Giles Brook
CEO, Quorn MD, Spar Academic CEO, Vita Coco
Last ranked: – Last ranked: – Last ranked: – Last ranked: –
Quorn has been transformed Since Robinson joined Spar The professor of food safety Brook is a wanted man: it
since PE firm Exponent as MD in 2011, the symbol and director of the Institute was he who brought about
snapped it up for £205m in group has been steadily mov- for Global Food Security at the explosion of coconut
2011. A lot of credit for that ing forwards, rolling out new Queen’s University Belfast water in the UK, launching
has to go to Brennan, achiev- and improved store formats led a year-long review of the Vita Coco in 2010, and build-
ing strong domestic and inter- and better quality own-label UK’s food system following ing sales to £23.7m through
national growth on the back ranges. It’s also chalking up the horsemeat scandal in superb execution. Also the
of (among other things) a five- record service levels. And 2013. His recommendations, founder of healthy snack
fold increase in NPD, and an strong Christmas trading fig- including the establishment brand Bear, his entrepreneur-
eightfold increase in advertis- ures (up 3.5% on a like-for- of a food crime unit, are now ial spirit saw Brook crowned
ing, even signing up Olympic like basis) put the symbol being implemented by the the Entrepreneur of the Year
hero Mo Farah. There’s even group on a strong footing for government and FSA, and he at The Grocer Gold Awards in
talk of an IPO. 2015. remains much in demand. 2014.
44 | The Grocer | 7 February 2015www.thegrocer.co.ukYou can also read
