Unitas appoints COO as Kinney becomes CEO

Unitas Wholesale announces new chief operating officer as part of an executive team reshuffle as Managing Director John Kinney takes on the role of CEO

This follows the recent appointment of Gurms Athwal as trading director, who has now been appointed to the Unitas board.

David Cooke, who previously worked at Blakemore, will become COO in September, ahead of the buying group’s annual conference in Marbella. He will assume executive responsibility for the trading, commercial, marketing and retail teams, spearheading initiatives that drive value for members and supplier partners.

“David has excellent experience and a track record of delivering growth through collaborative supplier and member relationships, which makes him the ideal leader to accelerate our ‘Fitter, Fairer, Faster’ strategy,” said John Kinney. “Together with Gurms and the wider leadership team, David will help us deliver incremental benefits for members year on year and provide a strong return on investment for our supplier partners.”

David Cooke said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Unitas Wholesale at such an exciting point in its journey. The group’s commitment to being fitter, fairer and faster perfectly aligns with my own passion for building sustainable growth in partnership with suppliers and members. I look forward to working with John and the entire Unitas team to unlock new opportunities, enhance our retail proposition and deliver tangible benefits for all stakeholders.”

Unitas Chairman Dr Jason Wouhra OBE said: “David’s appointment strengthens the Unitas executive team and underscores our commitment to continuous improvement and future-proofing the business. Aligning trading, marketing, commercial and retail under a COO puts the group in an even stronger position to respond quickly to market opportunities, and to support members with best-in-class propositions.”

appointment David Cooke Dr Jason Wouhra Gurms Athwal John Kinney