McColl’s chief executive steps down
The McColl’s convenience retailer has confirmed that its chief executive Jonathan Miller has stepped down, although he remains a significant shareholder.
With the search for his successor already in progress, McColl’s said its non-executive chairman, Angus Porter, will assume the role of executive chairman on a temporary basis. In addition, chief operating officer Karen Bird has been appointed as interim chief executive to manage day-to-day executive responsibilities, and chief financial officer Giles David has taken on additional duties.
McColl’s is currently in dialogue with its lenders regarding a longer-term agreement for the balance of its existing finance facility. Today the company said it continues to believe that a financing solution will be found that involves its existing partners and stakeholders.
Porter said: “On behalf of the board, I want to take this opportunity to thank Jonathan for the immense contribution he has made to McColl’s and to pay tribute to his commitment in leading the business over the course of more than 30 years. We wish him all the very best in the future.
“As we discuss with our stakeholders the transformation of our business to a grocery-led convenience offer, Jonathan and the board have agreed that now is the right time to bring in a new chief executive to lead the business into a new phase.
“In the meantime, we have a strong management team in place to take the business forward, and we are confident in our strategy to capitalise on the opportunity in the convenience sector in the years ahead.”
Miller added: “It has been an enormous privilege to work for McColl’s for the last 30 years, most recently leading the business and transforming our offer in partnership with Morrisons. I have worked alongside so many talented and hardworking people and I am enormously grateful for the support I have had from the many thousands of colleagues in the business over many years.
“I remain a significant shareholder, and I leave confident that, with its clearly defined, convenience-led strategy and strong partnership with Morrisons, McColl’s will continue to play a vital role at the heart of local communities across the UK.”
