Nisa CEO Neil Turton and COO Amanda Jones to step down
Convenience retailer Nisa has announced that chief executive Neil Turton and chief operating officer Amanda Jones are to leave the business.
Turton is to step down in the Spring of 2015 after 23 years to take up a position at a “non-competing business”. Meanwhile, Jones is leaving the business after 16 months to become chief operating officer at Bargain Booze Owner Conviviality Retail.
Christopher Baker, chairman of Nisa, said: “It is testament to the success of Nisa in serving the needs of thousands of members and millions of customers that our top talent is the target of other companies. Neil Turton is one of the longest serving chief executives in grocery retail. He has led Nisa through some seismic changes and the board is hugely grateful for his hard work over 23 years in the business.
“The board has put in place a robust transition strategy and will immediately commence the search for an experienced retailer that will be able to take Nisa to the next stage in its development. Neil will manage the succession strategy and continue to drive our retail focus and consumer centric propositions with the existing management team.”
Jones joined Nisa in 2013 having previously held senior positions at Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.
Commenting on her departure Baker said: “I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the significant contribution that Amanda has made during her short tenure in initiating the transformation of Nisa’s journey from wholesaler to retailer and putting in place a strong executive team for the future.”
The news comes in a year of significant change for Nisa. The business is currently relaunching over 1,300 lines in its own label Heritage range and says that early signs have shown a 50% increase in sales across pies and pastries lines launched in June. It has also introduced new store formats and re-engineered its distribution service to achieve an ‘on time’ rate of 96% and availability levels of 98%.
Turton said: “After 23 years with Nisa, I’m leaving a business that has just enjoyed an excellent trading year with record volumes and highest ever sales. The company, now more than ever, is retail focussed and consumer centric. I felt it was time for a new challenge and would like to thank all the hard working staff at Nisa for their contribution over the years.”
