Simon Roberts of Sainsbury's named as IGD's new president

Jason Tarry will be handing over the reins as IGD President, as he steps down from his role as UK & ROI Chief Executive Officer of Tesco PLC. Simon Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of Sainsbury’s, has been appointed as the new President of IGD by its Board of Trustees.

In his tenure at IGD, Jason has played a critical role in energetically galvanising the industry’s leadership and creating an open environment within IGD’s CEO Forum, as the organisation sets out its ambition to become the essential partner to a thriving food and consumer goods industry.

Simon, who is already a highly active member of IGD’s CEO Forum, will take on the IGD Presidency on 1st March 2024. Simon has extensive knowledge and experience in retail, having held a wide range of roles at M&S, Boots and Sainsbury’s, where he has been CEO since 2020 —Simon brings deep insight into the UK grocery sector.

Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD, said: “Many thanks to Jason for the huge levels of commitment, guidance and enthusiasm he has brought to the role of IGD President. I’m particularly thankful for the support he has given me personally during the transition to my new role at IGD. Jason has also shown great support for our ambition to become the essential partner to a thriving food and consumer goods industry; he passes the baton to Simon at a critical time, when the work we do in bringing our industry together to tackle the big issues has never been more important.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with Simon, who has a huge breadth of industry experience and is already a great supporter and advocate of our work at IGD.”

Jason Tarry said: “I am incredibly proud to have been President of IGD. This is a very special organisation with a huge level of ambition to help our industry thrive. I have no doubt that Simon Roberts, working closely with Sarah and her team, will continue to drive this unique organisation from strength to strength.”

Simon Roberts said: “On behalf of the UK grocery industry, we thank Jason Tarry for his leadership in driving forward such an important agenda. IGD has a vital role to play in bringing the industry together to tackle the big issues we face and in helping us work towards creating a more resilient and sustainable food system for everybody.

“We can only achieve impactful change through collaboration and partnership across our industry, and I’m excited about working with Sarah and all the members of the IGD to find innovative solutions which will make a genuine difference for all our colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners.”

ENDS

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Notes to editors:

1.     IGD is an organisation of two interconnected communities. The profits from Commercial Insight are reinvested into Social Impact, which together work to drive change that makes a tangible difference for society, business and the individual.

2.     Social Impact from IGD is delivered in four key areas:

a.     People – focussed on giving young people opportunities to develop their employability and life skills, and on building the knowledge and capability of food and consumer goods industry colleagues, to foster an inclusive and productive workforce;

b.     Health – nutrition experts use the latest research and behavioural science to develop practical tools that help the whole industry. IGD is collaborating with and inspiring companies to adopt best practice and implement change;

c.     Sustainability – focused on mobilising the industry to tackle climate change, reduce food waste, increase food surplus redistribution, develop sustainable packaging systems and accelerate the industry’s progress towards Net Zero;

d.     Economics – supporting better strategic planning and decision making, for the benefit of consumers, through economic analysis and engagement with policy makers.

3.     Commercial Insight is delivered through six core areas:

a.     Retail Analysis – providing trusted data and insight, straight from the heart of retail;

b.     ShopperVista – providing insight that creates the foundation for progressive shopper and category thinking;

c.     Events – providing compelling experiences that connect people and ideas together;

d.     MarketTrack – the most trusted, rigorous market read in the retail sector;

e.     Supply Chain Analysis – providing answers and unlocking potential;

f.      Solutions – personalised solutions that address the critical customer and commercial challenges.

4.     All content is owned by IGD. If you use or refer to any content in this press release, please credit IGD

5.     Follow us on Twitter: @fromIGD