Foodstuffs North Island appoints Stewart Smith as COO

Foodstuffs North Island has appointed Stewart Smith as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective November 16. Smith will oversee core operations, including supply chain, property, wholesale, customer service, and safety and wellbeing divisions.

Smith joins the co-operative from his role as CEO at Team Global Express New Zealand. His professional background includes senior leadership positions at The Warehouse Group and Nisa Retail, as well as a nine-year tenure at Tesco, where he worked on commercial strategy, food sourcing, and international market expansion.

Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin stated that the creation of the COO position is a response to a shifting operating landscape. Quin noted that the role is intended to strengthen focus on operational areas to build capability, resilience, and efficiency as customers demand greater value and convenience amidst increasing system complexity.