Unitas Wholesale have appointed Gurms Athwal as its trading director in a role previously occupied by Cheryl Hope, who replaced Athwal in the same role at Partfetts, who he left in April.
Athwal will join the buying group’s executive team and previously worked in similar roles at the likes of JK Foods and Hyperama before his employment at Parfetts, where he worked for over four years.
Unitas Wholesale managing director John Kinney said: “We are delighted to welcome Gurms to the Unitas Wholesale central team. His wealth of experience, strategic thinking, and proven ability to deliver commercial value will be a tremendous asset to our members.
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“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 Wholesale Board and his transition to Executive Director ensures continuity and further strengthens our commitment to driving incremental growth through deeper supplier engagement.”
Athwal said: “I am 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 have 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 and I’m looking forward to building on the excellent work already underway and driving further value for our members.”
