Cook has appointed Ashley Davis to be its new chief commercial officer.
Davis joined the ready meal business at the start of July from restaurant chain Leon, where she had been interim MD of its restaurants and grocery business.
She will support Cook’s sibling co-founders Rosie Brown and Ed Perry in the newly created role, taking on greater share of responsibilities as the chain continues to expand its store and concessions network.
During a five-year-plus spell at Leon, Davis has played a key role in growing its presence on supermarket shelves as MD for grocery, which includes listings with Asda, Sainsbury’s and Ocado.
The chain, which was co-founded by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent in 2004, was acquired by Asda owner Mohsin Issa’s EG Group in 2021. Prior to her spell with Leon, Davis previously also had spells as a senior buyer at Sainsbury’s and buying manager at Ocado, among others.
She took over as interim MD in October 2023 after Glenn Edwards stepped down from his role. Leon is yet to announce her successor.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Cook at such an exciting time in the brand’s story,” Davis said. ”It’s a unique company focused on creating delicious homemade food and doing business in a better way for people and the planet, backed up by B Corp status.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my experience and knowledge to the newly created chief commercial officer role and can’t wait to learn from the team who’ve created such an inspiring business and be part of creating and scaling the Cook of the future.”
Davis joins as Cook kicks on with its store expansion plan.
In March, Cook opened its 100th store, in Poynton, Cheshire, with the business aiming to open around six to 10 new stores a year, over the next five years. It has also focused on growing its core concessions business, as well as increasingly expanding its experimental vending machine arm.
“Ashley is such a great fit for Cook, with her breadth of experience and passion for food and developing people,” said Cook co-founder Brown. “With so much opportunity out there, it’s hugely exciting to have her in such an important role.”
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