Steven Nuttall will join the wholesaler on 6 May 2025 and will work a handover period with current CFO Ian Kellett, who will retire at the end of this month after less than a year in the role.
Nuttall has worked as group chief financial officer at Flamingo Group International since January 2024 and prior to that worked in various role at Asda, including as interim chief financial officer between May 2022 and May 2023.
He also spent more than five years working for the Co-op, almost all of which he spent as finance director for Co-op Food.
As CFO at A.F. Blakemore, Nuttall will join the firm’s board and executive team, while he takes on responsibility for finance, property, IT and procurement.
Commenting on the appointment, A.F. Blakemore CEO Carol Welch said: “I want to thank Ian for his leadership in the significant transformation of our financial rigor, improved processes and systems during his time with us.
“As Ian steps away I’m absolutely thrilled to have Steven join the AFB team. He will bring a wealth of retail leadership and financial expertise with a strong track record in business profit growth, strategy, and talent development, making him instrumental as we continue to pursue our long-term future growth objectives.”
Meanwhile, Nuttall said that he is delighted to join the company and is excited to work alongside Welch and the board.
“It’s an exciting time to come back into convenience retail and I’m looking forward to being part of this great family business and the ambitious growth plans at A.F. Blakemore,” he added.
A.F. Blakemore owns 248 SPAR stores across England and Wales and is the largest SPAR wholesaler in the UK. It is also a leading foodservice and wholesale provider to the wider retail and leisure sectors in the UK.
