Foodstuffs North Island appoints Stewart Smith as COO

Foodstuffs North Island has appointed Stewart Smith as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective 16 November. 

The retailer is strengthening its operational capabilities amid growing pressure for value, efficiency and resilience across the food supply chain.

Smith will oversee the company’s core operations, including supply chain, property, wholesale, customer service, and safety and wellbeing.

Smith joins from Team Global Express

Smith joins Foodstuffs North Island from logistics company Team Global Express New Zealand, where he currently serves as chief executive officer. During his tenure, he led business transformation and turnaround operations.

He brings extensive experience across retail, logistics, commercial strategy and business transformation. 

Before joining Team Global Express, Smith held senior leadership roles at The Warehouse Group, Nisa Retail and Tesco.

During his nine-year career at Tesco, Smith held responsibilities spanning commercial strategy, general merchandise, food sourcing, international market expansion and procurement performance.

Smith relocated to New Zealand in 2019.

New COO role to strengthen operations

“Foodstuffs is operating in a rapidly changing environment, with customers expecting value, convenience and great service, while our members and suppliers are navigating increasing complexity across the food and retail system,” said Quin.

“We’ve created the COO role to bring a stronger focus across the operational parts of our business and make sure we continue to build the capability, resilience and efficiency we need for the future.

“Stewart brings an exceptional mix of retail, commercial, supply chain and transformation experience. He has led businesses through significant change, understands the importance of strong teams and has a focus on delivering for customers,” he added.

The creation of the COO position comes as Foodstuffs North Island responds to changes in customer expectations and increasing complexity across the food and retail ecosystem.

Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin said that the new role would provide greater focus across the company's operational functions while strengthening its ability to respond to changing market conditions.