The Co-op Group’s managing director for food, Matt Hood, is to one of three senior figures set to leave the business.
Food trading director Nicole Tallant, and commercial and logistics strategy director Tom Bradley are also leaving, The Grocer reported.
Interim CEO Kate Allum told the magazine: “I can confirm that Matt Hood, Nicole Tallant and Tom Bradley have decided to leave our Co-op to take up new roles outside of the food retail sector.
“I am pleased that all three will remain with us for some months to ensure a well managed transition, maintain stability and continue to help deliver our strategy.
“Between them, Matt, Nicole and Tom have made a significant contribution to our food business and to the wider Co-op, with their commitment, leadership and expertise having a lasting impact, and they will be greatly missed by colleagues across the business, We wish all three of them the very best for the future.”
Hood joined the Group from Tesco, where he held a series of senior roles, in 2012. At the Group, started as head of commercial for chilled, before moving through a series of posts to his current roles in 2022.
Tallant and Bradley are also well-established employees, having worked with business for eight and five years respectively.
The news follows an eventful time for the Group, with the impact from last April’s cyber attack, and the decision in September to merge the organisation’s buying teams across retail, wholesale, societies and franchise Into a single commercial and logistics division.
The Grocer claimed this move had caused “widespread concern and confusion”, but the Group says the restructure is boosting buying power and helping the business recover from the cyber attack.
Chief procurement officer Imran Rasul will step into the new role of chief commercial officer, as part of a plan to create two separate commercial and logistics functions. These formerly came under one leader, reporting to Hood.
In March this year, then-CEO Shirine Khoury Haq announced her departure as the Group announced a £126m loss.
