Sainsbury’s promotes Graham Biggart to chief transformation officer
Sainsbury’s has promoted Graham Biggart to the newly created role of chief transformation officer.
Biggart joined Sainsbury’s in 2015 as Head of Range and Space and worked as Director of Commercial Operations, including running the Sainsbury’s Local and Argos Republic of Ireland businesses, before heading up Fresh Food and Food Service. Biggart will be responsible for “all key transformation programmes” across the group in addition to supply chain and logistics. He will join the retailer’s operating board in March this year.
The creation of the CTO role follows supply chain and logistics director Sandy Parsonage’s decision to leave Sainsbury’s after 15 years with the business.
Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts said: “Graham Biggart is a talented retail leader with a proven track record and he thoroughly deserves this promotion. The new role is a perfect fit for his skills and he will be a great asset to our business on the operating board.”
Biggart said he was “delighted” to join the company’s operating board and that the business had a “brilliant opportunity to transform our strategy and operations to ensure we are fit for the future and continue to deliver for our customers”.
Sainsbury’s said Parsonage has had “one of the most demanding roles in our business over the last 18 months given the major supply chain impacts caused by the pandemic”, and that she had played “a huge role” in the integration of the Sainsbury’s and Argos logistics operations.
McColl’s chief commercial officer Richard Crampton is to return to Sainsbury’s in March to take on Biggart’s current role. Crampton, who had previously worked for the grocer for nearly eight years until 2015, will report to food commercial director Rhian Bartlett.
“I am delighted to welcome Richard Crampton back to Sainsbury’s – he understands our business and we will benefit enormously from his broad industry experience,” Roberts said.
Sainsbury’s will also see further changes to its food commercial team at the end of the month when director of customer and change Rachel Clark will become business unit director of grocery – replacing Sam Burston, who will take on the role of CRM and Loyalty for the Nectar business.
Roberts said: “These changes will set us up brilliantly to deliver the next phase of our transformation programme. We have a clear financial and customer plan which, supported by our great people, will ensure we continue to deliver for our customers, colleagues and shareholders.”
