Key takeaways:
- Tracey Clements, ex-Tesco Express and One Stop boss, joins Sainsbury’s to lead retail and supply chain strategy.
- Sainsbury’s restructures leadership to sharpen customer, digital and commercial focus.
- Travel money unit sold to Fexco, continuing services under Sainsbury’s brand through in-store bureaux.
Sainsbury’s has appointed Tracey Clements – former Managing Director of Tesco Express and CEO of One Stop – to a newly created senior role overseeing its retail, logistics and supply chain operations.
Clements, who joins the Sainsbury’s Operating Board as Chief Retail, Logistics and Supply Chain Officer from 3 September 2025, brings extensive experience in convenience and neighbourhood retail – a background likely to be closely watched by independent retailers as Sainsbury’s continues to evolve its estate and service offer.
She spent 17 years at Tesco, rising through store operations to lead Tesco Express, the group’s core convenience format, and went on to head its subsidiary One Stop. More recently, she was Chief Operating Officer at Boots UK & Ireland and Senior Vice President at bp for its European mobility and convenience division.
Her new role will combine responsibility for Sainsbury’s retail operations, digital, customer experience, supply chain and logistics – effectively bringing the full end-to-end customer proposition under one leader.
Welcoming her to the team, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Simon Roberts said: “Her breadth of experience, energy and customer-first mindset make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team and I’m confident she will play a pivotal role in accelerating our plan and shaping the next chapter of our Sainsbury’s business.”
Clements commented: “Sainsbury’s is an amazing brand with a deep heritage at the heart of Britain’s relationship with food. I’ve always held it in high regard for giving customers extremely high-quality food at great value, with a real focus on colleagues, communities, suppliers and farmers. I can’t wait to get started.”
Wider leadership shake-up
The appointment comes as part of a broader reshaping of Sainsbury’s Operating Board, which also includes changes in technology, commercial and sustainability leadership.
Mark Given, currently Chief Marketing Officer, will become Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer from 1 September. The move reflects the increasing strategic importance of technology, data and AI in delivering personalised customer experiences and long-term growth.
Given will lead Sainsbury’s Technology, Data and Insights, Marketing and Nectar 360 functions. He will be joined in early October by Rob Barnes, who has been appointed Chief Technology Officer, reporting to Given. Barnes previously held senior technology roles at Asda and M&S.
Meanwhile, Rhian Bartlett will take on an expanded role as Chief Commercial and Sustainability Officer. By combining commercial and sustainability leadership under Bartlett, the group aims to embed responsible sourcing, health and nutrition into its commercial strategy and decision-making.
The transformation of Argos also remains a key pillar of the group’s Next Level plan. Argos retail structures and transformation teams will now report directly to Graham Biggart, Managing Director for Argos and Chief Strategy Officer. Biggart will continue to oversee group-wide strategy and has been credited with driving Sainsbury’s modernisation efforts in supply chain and logistics.
Travel money unit sold to Fexco
Separately, Sainsbury’s Bank has announced the sale of its travel money business to Irish financial services firm Fexco Group, as part of a phased exit from its core banking operations.
The sale will form the basis of a long-term partnership, with Fexco delivering foreign exchange services under the Sainsbury’s brand. Sainsbury’s will retain an ongoing share of revenue and rental income from the business, which currently operates more than 220 in-store bureaux and holds close to 10 per cent of the UK travel money market.
Bláthnaid Bergin, Chief Financial Officer of Sainsbury’s, said: “Travel money is a service our customers value and we’re pleased to be entering a new long-term partnership with Fexco Group that ensures they can continue to access foreign exchange both in-store and online with the same ease and confidence.”
The deal follows the sale of other parts of Sainsbury’s Bank, including personal loans and credit cards to NatWest Group and the ATM business to NoteMachine. The Argos Financial Services cards portfolio was also sold to NewDay Group.