AF Blakemore has hired Lawrence Shirazian as MD of its newly formed foodservice business unit.
Joining on 4 December, Shirazian will head up AF Blakemore’s foodservice, fresh meat, and wholesale divisions.
He will bring a wealth of experience from across the hospitality, leisure, catering and retail sectors, the business said.
Most recently, he consulted for private equity and software companies in the hospitality space. Prior to that, he held the role as MD for foodservice operator Aramark UK for four years.
He has also taken on senior roles at Delaware North Companies, Welcome Break, and Zizzi restaurants.
“I am thrilled to be joining AF Blakemore to deliver the strategic vision at such an exciting time for their foodservice businesses,” said Shirazian. “I share the passion for creating value by providing our partners with great food and drink solutions borne out of a deep understanding of their customers and a need for operational efficiency.”
AF Blakemore CEO Carol Welch added: “We’re delighted Lawrence is joining us. His knowledge extends across a breadth of sectors making him ideally placed to oversee the newly formed business unit.
“He brings a customer-first approach coupled with deep operational understanding that will ensure we continue to create value through growth and productivity for our partners and our business.”
As well as its wholesale and foodservice businesses, AF Blakemore also operates 900 convenience stores including company-owned and independent Spar retailers. The group also owns the Philpotts brand, a chain of sandwich, coffee and bakery stores.
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