Unitas Wholesale has announced a leadership succession plan that will see John Kinney become chairman and David Cooke take over as chief executive from January 1, 2027.
The changes were announced today at the Unitas conference in Istanbul and are designed to provide continuity while supporting the wholesale group’s next stage of development.
Kinney has led Unitas as chief executive for nearly six years. He joined Today’s Group as retail director in 2012 before becoming sales and marketing director and subsequently moving into the top role following the merger of Today’s Group and Landmark Wholesale to form Unitas Wholesale.
Under the new structure, Kinney will become chairman, succeeding current chairman Jason Wouhra, whose three-year term ends on 31 December.
Commenting on the changes, Kinney said he was “extremely proud” of what Unitas had achieved during his tenure.
“We have strengthened the organisation, developed our commercial proposition and continued to evolve the support we provide to members and supplier partners in a rapidly changing wholesale market,” he noted.
He added that Cooke, who joined Unitas a year ago as part of its succession planning, had “made a significant impact” and developed a strong understanding of the business and its membership.
“I am delighted that he will take on the role of chief executive and am confident he is the right person to lead Unitas through its next chapter,” Kinney said.
“I would also like to thank Jason for the contribution he has made during his three years as chairman and for the support, guidance and challenge he has provided to me, the board and the wider organisation.”
Wouhra said the changes provide “continuity and a clear path for the next stage” of Unitas’ development.
“It has been a real privilege to serve as chairman of Unitas and I have thoroughly enjoyed the role over the past three years. I am proud of the progress the organisation has made during that time and of the way the board, leadership team and wider business have continued to strengthen Unitas on behalf of its members,” he said.
He thanked Kinney for his leadership and said the coard was confident Cooke was “the right person to take the organisation forward as chief executive”.
Cooke highlighted the importance of independent wholesale to the UK supply chain and said Unitas had a responsibility to help its members remain competitive and successful as the market continues to change.
“I look forward to working closely with our members, supplier partners and the Unitas team as we build on the strong foundations already in place, continue to develop our proposition and deliver the next phase of our strategy,” he added.