The FWD has appointed Bestway Wholesale MD Dawood Pervez as its new chairman.
He will assume the new role in January, taking over from Coral Rose to become the 61st person to head the trade association in its 104-year history.
Over the course of his two-year stint, Pervez said he wanted to publicise the social and economic contribution of the wholesale sector to the widest possible audience.
He will also encourage members to focus on sustainability, recruitment and development, and selling the opportunity of the wholesale channel to suppliers.
Speaking after his appointment, Pervez said: “The FWD’s main purpose – and it does this very well – is to represent the full interests of wholesalers, providing a voice for what is actually a very broad church.
“We rely on FWD to represent our common interests to government and suppliers, to potential new recruits into the sector, and to the media. The story we want them to hear is such a compelling one. Between the members of FWD, we provide vital supply lines to the UK’s fundamental services like schools, prisons, hospitals and care homes.
“We ensure that remote communities, urban neighbourhoods and people with limited mobility have a nearby source of food and drink. We supply small businesses that provide tailored offers for their communities and competition in their markets and support them with our knowledge gained from working with thousands like them.
“With a combined turnover of £31bn, we’re a significant industry. The public spend £48.1bn a year on food and drink in outlets supplied by FWD members. We’re far bigger than we’re perceived to be by government, the public, and even the suppliers we work with. Together we spend £25bn on their products, and open the doors to over 400,000 points of contact with consumers.
“We directly employ 83,000 people in full-time equivalent jobs, spread evenly across the country, and our activities generate a further 283,000 jobs up and down the supply chain. We contribute £662m to the Exchequer, with a gross added value to the UK economy of £3.4bn.”
Meanwhile departing chairman Coral Rose said: “I wish Dawood the best of luck, and would like to thank the FWD team for all the incredible things they have achieved during my term in the hot seat.”
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