FareShare CEO George Wright has announced he is to leave the organisation next year, two years after taking on the post following a string of senior supermarket sales roles.
Wright, who served as M&S director of food and before that held top positions at Tesco, John Lewis and Coles in Australia, succeeded Lindsay Boswell at the food distribution charity in 2023.
Under his leadership, FareShare has been at the heart of a major transformation of redistribution efforts, playing a key role in the King’s Coronation Food Project, which launched last year and resulted in supermarkets and suppliers agreeing to produce tens of millions of extra meals under its Alliance manufacturing programme.
John Bason, chair of FareShare since 2012 and formerly finance director of Associated British Foods, will act as executive chair, supported by deputy chair and group CEO of Compass Dominic Blakemore, following Wright’s move to step down from the CEO role.
Kris Gibbon-Walsh, previously chief operating officer, will take on the role of interim CEO.
He joined FareShare in 2013 as an intern, and has worked his way up the organisation, working in roles spanning customer projects, community and network, delivery and operations, having previously worked on a range of engineering projects in France, India, Croatia and Romania.
Wright has been outspoken in calls for greater co-operation between charities involved in food distribution, and recently criticised the UK for lagging behind other countries in the use of technology in the sector.
Despite the major breakthrough with the King’s involvement, FareShare has struggled to convince ministers to provide funding to help tackle waste in the supply chain.
Last month The Grocer revealed a £15m fund announced by the previous government to tackle the farmgate food waste scandal has been left “in limbo” as the new government attempted to tackle the black hole in its finances.
In February, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the fund to help companies and food redistribution charities redirect food surplus and stop it going to waste on farms.
Wright said he would stay on at FareShare until next year in an advisory role, focusing on the organisation’s collaboration with the industry on food redistribution policies and initiatives, as FareShare marks its 30th year of operation.
He said: “It wasn’t an easy decision for me to take, but this is about succession and adaptation of the organisation to build on our momentum and set ourselves up for the next phase. I will remain with FareShare into next year and do everything I can to support everyone through the transition.
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“I’ve been proud of the progress we’ve made since I joined in May 2023. We’ve improved our safety and operational standards, secured network investment, forged stronger partnerships across industry, government, and funders, been a proud partner in the Coronation Food Project and forged a new alliance with the IGD. We have invested in developing our teams, enhancing the organisation for the future, and setting up advisory groups to increase the expertise into the organisation.”
Wright told The Grocer he had not yet decided on his next move.
Bason said: “I would like to thank George for his vision and leadership since he joined last year, and I am very pleased he will continue as part of the FareShare family. As we move into this new chapter, we will remain absolutely committed to our mission to fight hunger, reduce food waste, and strengthen communities. We look forward to the journey ahead.”
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