Wholesale industry veteran Gurms Athwal is set to join Unitas Wholesale as Trading Director, effective from June 2.
With over 25 years’ experience in the wholesale sector, Athwal is one of the industry’s most respected trading directors. His career spans several Unitas member businesses, including JK Foods, Hyperama, and most recently Parfetts, where he has served as Trading Director for the past four years.
His longstanding association with Unitas and in-depth understanding of its strategy and operations make him ideally placed for this role.
Commenting on the appointment, Unitas Managing Director John Kinney said, “We’re delighted to welcome Gurms to the Unitas Central team. His wealth of experience, strategic thinking, and proven ability to deliver commercial value will be a tremendous asset to our members.
“Gurms has a strong track record of negotiating commercial terms and promotional programmes that deliver tangible results for both wholesalers and suppliers.
"Until recently he was a Non-Executive Director on the Unitas Board and his transition from Non-Executive to Executive Director ensures continuity and further strengthens our commitment to driving incremental growth through deeper supplier engagement.”
Athwal added, “I’m honoured to step into the role of Trading Director at the UK’s largest wholesale buying group. Having been connected to Unitas for the majority of my career, I’ve built strong relationships within the team and across the supplier community.
"Unitas’ scale and reach across retail, foodservice and the on-trade offer a unique platform for collaboration. I’m looking forward to building on the excellent work already underway and driving further value for our members.”
