Cooke has been hired into the newly created role of chief operating officer, with Unitas Wholesale managing director John Kinney in turn promoted to the role of chief executive officer.
As chief operating officer, Cooke will assume executive responsibility for the trading, commercial, marketing and retail teams, spearheading initiatives that drive value for members and supplier partners.
He will join the business in September, just ahead of the group’s annual conference in Marbella which takes place between 26 and 30 September 2025.
The news comes just a few months after Unitas Wholesale named Gurms Athwal as its new trading director. Athwal will report directly to Cooke and has been appointed to the firm’s board with immediate effect.
“David has excellent experience and a track record of delivering growth through collaborative supplier and member relationships, which makes him the ideal leader to accelerate our ‘Fitter, Fairer, Faster’ strategy,” said Kinney.
“Together with Gurms and the wider leadership team, David will help us deliver incremental benefits for members year on year and provide a strong return on investment for our supplier partners.”
Meanwhile, Cooke said he was delighted to be joining Unitas Wholesale at such an exciting point in its journey.
“The group’s commitment to being fitter, fairer and faster perfectly aligns with my own passion for building sustainable growth in partnership with suppliers and members,” he added.
“I look forward to working with John and the entire Unitas team to unlock new opportunities, enhance our retail proposition and deliver tangible benefits for all stakeholders.”
Lastly, Unitas Wholesale chair Dr Jason Wouhra reflected on the decision to reshuffle the senior team.
“David’s appointment strengthens the Unitas executive team and underscores our commitment to continuous improvement and future-proofing the business,” Dr Wouhra said.
“Aligning trading, marketing, commercial and retail under a COO puts the group in an even stronger position to respond quickly to market opportunities, and to support members with best-in-class propositions.”
