(Reuters) - British food supplier Hilton Food said on Wednesday that Steve Murrells, ex-CEO of Co-operative Group, would replace Philip Heffer as its chief executive officer.
Hilton Food, which supplies meat and ready-to-eat meals to supermarkets, said Heffer, its CEO since 2018, will stand down and Murrells will take over the top job from July 3.
Murrells was CEO of Co-op Group, the eponymous operator of Britain's seventh-largest supermarket chain, for five years before he stepped down last year.
The 57-year-old's connection to Hilton Food, it said, dates back almost 30 years, when he was one of its first customers and commercial partners at Tesco (LON:TSCO).
Hilton Food's management change comes as it reported a 3.3% fall in annual adjusted operating profit to 71.1 million pounds (about $89 million) due to inflationary challenges in its seafood business.
Separately, Co-Op Group on Wednesday maintained its operating profit at 100 million pounds in 2022 despite inflationary pressure. ($1 = 0.7997 pounds)