Mark Aylwin appointed new Unitas chairman

Unitas Wholesale has announced the appointment of Mark Aylwin as non-executive chairman.

Aylwin has worked in the food and drinks industry for over 35 years, most recently as the chief operating officer of Carrefour Business in the MENA region.

He has also held a number of senior roles in the wholesale sector, including managing director of Matthew Clark, Booker Direct and Musgrave Retail Partners as well as chief executive of Blueheath PLC and chief operating officer of Safeway PLC.

“Mark is a great appointment for Unitas Wholesale and is a hugely positive move forward demonstrating the strong intentions of the group,” commented John Kinney, managing director.

“Mark brings a wealth of experience to the role that will be incredibly useful as we drive the organisation into its next phase of development and both myself and the board look forward to welcoming Mark when he begins his tenure in April.”

Earlier this year as part of a review of the group’s strategy moving forward, the board has decided to bring in a non-member chair.

Aylwin commented: “I am really looking forward to joining Unitas Wholesale to support John and the board in the next phase of its journey. While there are a number of significant challenges in the out of home market, I am excited to be joining the group at a time when I believe we can make a real difference to our Unitas Wholesale members and their customers.”

Simon Hannah, current chair of the group and managing director of Filshill Wholesale, Scotland, will stand down from his position following a brief handover period with Aylwin, however, he will remain on the board.

Hannah said: “While I have been extremely proud to be the Chairman of Unitas Wholesale, I am delighted that Mark has agreed to join us as our new Chair. Moving to a non-member Chair will bring new insights and strategic direction, and together with John Kinney puts Unitas in a strong position to move forward with the next stage in the development of the Group for the benefit of our members, our customers and supplier partners.”