Former Waitrose boss joins board at Wynnstay
Agricultural and specialist merchanting group Wynnstay has appointed a new director.
Steven Esom will take on the role of Senior Independent Non-executive Director at the Llansantffraid-based group, with immediate effect.
He succeeds Philip Kirkham, Vice-chairman and Senior Independent Director, who will be retiring after ten years as a member of the Board of Directors next month.
Mr Esom has extensive senior-level experience in the UK food and retailing industries and significant experience of the UK agricultural sector.
He was previously Managing Director of Waitrose & Partners, where he regularly engaged with farmers and was involved with the oversight of Waitrose-owned farmlands.
He was also Executive Director of Food at Marks & Spencer, and held senior commercial buying roles at J Sainsbury plc for 12 years as well as at Texas, the DIY retailer, then part of Ladbroke Group.
Steve Ellwood, Chairman of Wynnstay Group Plc, said: "I would like to thank Philip for his tremendous contribution to the Board and to the Group over the last ten years. His insights and expertise have been much appreciated.
"We are delighted to welcome Steven. He is a highly experienced business leader and brings extensive commercial experience of food production and retailing, and a significant understanding of the agricultural industry.
"We are confident that he provides additional complementary strengths to the Board of Directors as we continue to grow and develop the Group.”
Mr Esom is Chairman of Sedex, a leading global supply chain consultancy focused on environmental, social and governance outcomes, which operates the world’s largest data platform for supply chain assessment.
He is also Chairman of Andrews & Partners Ltd, the residential estate agency and lettings and management group, and Chairman of Advantage Travel Partnership, the UK’s largest independent travel agent group.
Until December 2022, Steven was a non-executive director of Rank Group plc and, for nine years until 2018, was a non-executive director of Cranswick plc, a leading UK food producer and FTSE-250 constituent.
