Musgrave Retail Partners GB has named Andrew Mounsey as sales director for Budgens.

Mounsey, who takes up the role on 10 March, joins Budgens from Marks & Spencer, where he was divisional executive for southern Simply Food stores.

The move follows the completion of a four-year plan to franchise off Budgens stores so Musgrave can focus on being a wholesaler for the chain. Musgrave has overhauled the Budgens brand to highlight the new independence of the stores.

Mounsey's role will be to help Budgens retailers grow their businesses. Another key task will be to continue to develop Budgens' local sourcing initiative.

In his previous role at M&S, Mounsey had sales and operational responsibility for about half the retailer's 173 Simply Food stores, as well as new site identification and openings. Prior to M&S, he was retail director for chocolate retailer Thorntons for five years.

Mounsey, who has also worked for Woolworths, Adams and BHS, replaces Vince Maloney, who has held the role for two years and is becoming a Budgens independent retailer. He has Budgens stores in Ascot in Berkshire, and in Shepperton and Wentworth in Surrey, which he runs with his brother Dennis.

Maloney said he had always intended to leave the role once the Budgens sell-off was completed.

Maloney has worked at Budgens since 1997 and has been a member of the board of directors for the past seven years.

Mounsey is the third high-profile mover to join Musgrave Retail Partners in eight months. In December last year Jemima Tomlinson was named marketing director.

Phil Smith, former commercial and operations director of lottery operator Camelot, was named managing director in June.

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