Chris Etherington,
Chief Executive, Palmer & Harvey. Chairman of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors and its Council of Members
Chris joined Palmer & Harvey in June 2006 as chief executive with more than 30 years experience in wholesale and retail distribution, following a position as managing director of the national aftermarket wholesaler Unipart Automotive.
Prior to that, he was managing director for UK and executive director for Northern Europe of the FTSE 100 company, Alliance UniChem. Chris held several senior positions in the company before being promoted to the board in 1997 after a period at Harvard Business School.
After joining Palmer & Harvey, Chris has led a strategic review of the business with a focus on strengthening the company's services to all customers through the development of its trading packages and infrastructure. Since then, Palmer & Harvey has made excellent progress in achieving its strategic and financial objectives which underpinned the company's third MBO in two decades at the beginning of 2008.
Peter Blakemore,
Managing Director, AF Blakemore & Son Ltd
Peter joined the family business, AF Blakemore & Son Ltd in 1965. AF Blakemore was founded in 1917 by Peter's grandfather. The company developed cash and carry depots in the 1960s and 1970s and now operates nine.
In the 1980s, rapid growth took place in its SPAR symbol business, which continued in the 1990s when a chain of company operated convenience stores was developed.
Foodservice has grown during the last 10 years and the company is an important operator in this sector. Peter was chairman of Landmark Cash & Carry Group Ltd from 1986 to 1991 and has been chairman of Spar Food Distributors since 1991.
Philip Jenkins,
Managing Director, Sugro UK
Philip's first full-time job was exporting Corgi Toys. He joined the Co-op Distribution operation in 1980 and moved around the UK with them in various roles in distribution logistics, until he joined Nisa-Today's in 1988.
He remained with Nisa-Today's until 1995, latterly as wholesale trading director, and moved to Spar/Landmark as distribution development director. In 1999 he joined NWCL - Sugro UK - as managing director, where he is implementing a diversification of commercial development, as well as strengthening the principles of a buying and marketing group.
He joined the FWD Council in June 2004.
Bill Laird,
Managing Director, Today's Group
Bill Laird joined the Today's Group in March 2009 as managing director to head up the wholesale division of Nisa-Today's.
Bill has spent his entire career within the grocery and non-food sectors first working in store based management roles followed by various field management roles. Prior to joining Today's he ran his own management consultancy. He also worked at Midcounties Co-operative being promoted from group general manager to chief operating officer where he led a sustained period of growth and business change.
Since joining the Today's Group, Bill has led the company through a period of extensive development which includes the revitalisation of the group's brand, symbol group and retail club offering, and also the relaunch of its sector leading retailer support initiative, Plan for Profit. During this time there has been continuous sales and member growth coupled with an increase in long-term partnerships with suppliers. This has secured greater investment for the future benefit of the Group and its members.
Bill has a wealth of experience in senior management roles having spent the last 12 years working at Board level.
Younus Sheikh,
Managing Director, Bestway Cash & Carry
Younus came to the industry from an unusual direction - he studied science at university and went on to achieve a Diploma in Leather Manufacturing. Around 1968, Younus joined Bestway, a London-based convenience retail business with a few corner stores. He and the other founding directors could sense they were on to something that would lead them to a much bigger future - cash and carry. In 1976 he was key to the beginnings of Bestway as it is today.
In addition to his role as managing director of the Bestway Cash and Carry business he is managing director of Batleys and a trustee of the group's charitable giving through the Bestway Foundation in the UK and Pakistan.
Steve Pappas,
Managing Director, Costco Wholesale UK
Over the course of 18 years with Costco Wholesale, Steve has worked in five countries across four continents. He joined in 1991 as an assistant warehouse manager and quickly progressed to become a general manager in southern California.
He joined Costco's international division in 1997 and was appointed director of operations for Costco's joint venture in Taiwan, and in 2000 he was promoted to managing director of Costco Wholesale Korea and vice president of Costco Wholesale Corporation.
He moved to Sydney in September of 2005 to head Costco's start-up in Australia and transferred to London in September of 2006 as managing director of Costco Wholesale UK Ltd.
Steve Parfett,
Managing Director, AG Parfett & Sons
Steve started his working career as a graduate trainee at Waitrose. The grounding of this training was invaluable when the Parfett family decided to set up their own business in 1980.
Founded by Steve and his father Alan, Parfetts began trading in 1980, and Steve has been involved in the management and running of the business ever since. On Alan's retirement in 1989, Steve was made managing director, assisted by fellow director Robert Parfett and Robert Miller as financial director. Steve has continued to expand the business, opening Parfetts' sixth depot in Sheffield in November 2004.
When Alan retired from Landmark's board of directors in 1994, Steve was elected to take his place and the following year he became chairman. In March 2000, Steve was also elected chairman of the FWD, a position Alan Parfett held in the 1980s. This is the first time a father and son have held this prestigious position.
Charles Wilson,
Chief Executive, Booker
Charles joined Booker as chief executive in November 2005, from Marks & Spencer where he was executive director for property, IT and supply chain.
Charles started his career in 1986 with Procter & Gamble. From 1987 to 1991, he was a consultant with OC&C Strategy Consultants, and in 1991 he founded Abberton Associates. In 1998 he joined Booker plc as executive director responsible for branches, supply chain, strategy and systems.
In 2000, he was appointed managing director of Booker Cash & Carry, within the Iceland Group plc. From 2001 to 2003 he was executive director of Arcadia Group plc, responsible for strategy, property, supply chain and systems.
One of Charles' early actions after taking charge of Booker was to reinstate its membership of the FWD and to encourage his team to take an active role in the federation's activities.
Alex Fisher,
Managing Director, Wholesale, 3663
Born in Stirling, Scotland 9th December 1955. Alex Fisher graduated with an MA Honours degree in Modern History and Politics from the University of Glasgow in 1977. From 1977 to 1981 he worked with Makro Self-Service Wholesalers as a graduate management trainee and progressed to manage a range of departments from wines and spirits through non-foods and food floors.
In 1981 he joined British and American Tobacco to become a superstore manager in one of their Main Stop outlets and was instrumental in setting up, establishing and managing two superstores for Main Stop on the south coast of England (a forerunner of today's superstores incorporating in-house pharmacies, bakeries, butchery, newsagents etc, etc).
In 1985 Alex joined Linfood Cash & Carry and worked in their head office in Wellingborough as Catering Foods Buyer and progressed to become Catering Buying Controller for Linfood. Due to personal circumstances, in 1988 Alex had a need to return to Scotland and accepted a position as Buying & Marketing Director in a small family run foodservice wholesaler called Alexander Clark based in Glasgow. Upon arrival, he took the initiative to widen his role to look at all aspects of the business and implement changes which returned the business from a serious loss maker to a healthy 5% bottom line profit.
In 1991 Alex was headhunted to join Booker Fitch Foodservice as Operations Controller for the north of the country, ie Northern Scotland to Sheffield. He transformed the poorest performing region into the group's most profitable region and was promoted to the position of Operations Director within 4 years of joining. Two years later he was appointed Sales & Operations Director and following continued success was made Managing Director in June 1998. In 1999, along with his Chief Executive, he was responsible for selling Booker Fitch Foodservice to Bidvest and for establishing a new identity and trading philosophy for the company - 3663 First For Foodservice. Over the next 6 years as Managing Director, Alex quadrupled the profits of 3663's wholesale business and today reports directly to Bidvest main board as MD of 3663's UK foodservice business.
Under his leadership, 3663 have achieved a range of awards for sustainability, green wholesaler of the year, Sunday Times Top 20 Large Companies to Work For and a host of quality awards.
Today Alex resides, and occasionally visits his home, in Houston, Renfrewshire, Scotland!! He is married to Hazel and has three daughters - Elizabeth, a new mother and solicitor with the Scottish Government, Jennifer, a staff nurse and also a new mother and Caroline - a newly qualified medical doctor. And of course, there's Barney his Miniature Schnauzer.
Adrian Whitehead
Group legal Director and Company Secretary, Brakes
Adrian provides legal, trademarks, estate management, pensions, secretarial and insurance advice to Brakes, a leading supplier to the catering industry in the UK, Ireland, France and Sweden and Adrian's involves meeting people from across the group to understand and assist their issues and help lead the business through development of strategy and cross-fertilisation of best practice.
His role also extends to governance and ethics through participation at the company's board meetings, as well as investigating compliance issues.
Adrian joined Brakes in 2003 having previously worked for Nestlé, the Woolwich, Trafalgar House and Clifford Chance. He is a practising solicitor having qualified in 1988 and is a member of the Law Society.
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