Nisa Retail managing director Peter Batt is leaving the business after just over two years in charge.
Commercial director Ayaz Alam will also depart, with parent Co-op Group confirming that both executives “have decided now is the time for them to pursue further opportunities outside the business”.
The story was first revealed by Forecourt Trader’s sister title The Grocer on Friday.
In a LinkedIn update posted earlier today, Batt describes leading Nisa as “a dream come true from start to finish”.
While the Co-op looks for a successor to Batt, its managing director for B2B and growth Jerome Saint-Marc will take over the active day-to-day management of the symbol group and wholesale business. Sinead Bell, Co-op’s commercial director, will take over the management of the commercial Nisa team alongside her existing responsibilities.
“As we look ahead, there are significant growth opportunities for Nisa and our wider B2B business, as we prioritise building deeper relationships and delivering more value for our trusted partners,” says Saint-Marc. “Having both played integral roles, both Peter Batt and Ayaz Alam have decided that now is the time for them to pursue further opportunities outside of the business. We wish them our best and thank them for the contribution that they have both made to our Co-op over many years of service.”
Before joining Nisa, Batt spent seven years as a divisional managing director with the Co-op. Prior to that, he had an almost eight-year career with Sainsbury’s.
In 2019, Co-op Group bought Nisa Retail, whose logo is displayed at almost 4,000 UK forecourts and convenience stores. Expanding forecourt sales was a key strategy for Batt.
In its half-year results in September, the Co-op reported an £8 million loss for its wholesale business, down from a £3 million profit for the same period in 2023, which it blamed on “a wider challenging market and our decision to make significant price investment across hundreds of products to support Partners in an increasingly challenging market”.
In his LinkedIn post, Batt says he is “looking forward to his next challenge”, adding: “When I was persuaded to join the Co-op a decade ago, I admired what the brand stood for and more importantly all the passionate colleagues. I remain in awe today of the amazing people I have met and worked with enabling me to have the most fabulous experience.
“I have been so fortunate to have received the kindness of many, whom I now consider friends in and out of the business. I’m lucky to have had such devoted teams who, I discovered, are as caring and passionate about doing the right thing as I am. I loved that they didn’t always agree with me but was proud that I created an environment where they could say so and more importantly, be themselves.
“I am grateful that I had the opportunities in the job roles I did and also the co-operative tools and values to take on the challenges together. It’s all been a huge privilege.”
