Rapid grocer Gopuff has appointed former MP Luciana Berger as its new head of corporate affairs for Europe.
Berger was a Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree for nearly a decade before becoming an independent in 2019 and then joining the Liberal Democrats, after which she lost her seat.
She will join the instant needs player – which launched in the UK in November after acquiring Fancy and Dija and raising $1bn in new funding earlier in the year – in the spring.
She joins from global communications firm Edelman, where she has been MD, advocacy and public affairs, since May last year.
“I have experienced Gopuff’s energy and ambition first-hand,” said Berger. “As the market leader in the US, eyeing further expansion across the region, I have no doubt the business will continue its growth journey in 2022 and beyond. I can’t wait to be part of it.”
Gopuff said Berger would “bring deep insight in sectors including food and drink, health and sustainability”.
In her new role, Berger will join the team covering European operations, which includes fintech firm Revolut’s fromer COO Steven Harman, now Gopuff’s senior VP of European operations; and former Amazon executives Darin Manney and Alex Ootes, Gopuff VP of international finance and VP of European category management and product respectively. Gopuff’s UK general manager is Alberto Menolascina, co-founder of Dija and Deliveroo’s director of corporate strategy before leaving the company in late 2018.
Gopuff said it was taking a “thoughtful and selective approach to growth” with a “proven strategy of creating a local footprint and experience for customers and partners alike”.
In the UK it is going up against rivals including Getir, Gorillas, Zapp and Jiffy, all promising delivery of groceries delivered from dark stores in around 15 minutes.
“Over the last eight years we have continued to define the instant needs category and shown significant and sustainable growth across the US,” Yakir Gola, co-founder and co-CEO of Gopuff told The Grocer in November. “Our goal was always to be the world’s go-to solution for everyday needs, and making Gopuff available in the UK is just the start of our international expansion.”
On its UK entry, Gola added: “Before we come into a market we’ve got to be sure we’re going to win…And we’re sure we’re going to win.”
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