Prerana Issar to become Sainsbury’s chief people officer

Sainsbury’s has appointed senior NHS director Prerana Issar as its new chief people officer, the Grocer can reveal.

She will take the reins in June and will replace HR director Angie Risley, who is leaving the supermarket to focus on her portfolio career.

Issar joins from NHS England where she has served as chief people officer since April 2019.

Prior to that she spent six years in leading positions with the United Nations World Food Programme, and seven years at Unilever where she rose to vice president of HR for the FMCG giant’s global food category. 

Her new role will focus on leading Sainsbury’s flexible working and pay strategy, alongside wider HR functions.

“I am delighted that Prerana is joining our team. She brings a multi sector background and a strong and broad HR experience to our business, especially with her focus on purpose as both a unifying force and a driver of business results,” said Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts.

”In this crucial third year of our Food First plan and as we look to the future, we will continue to drive forward our strategy through engaging and mobilising all our people and, as a result, deliver the best possible experience for our customers.”

Roberts thanked Risley for her efforts over the last decade. ”She has been a committed member of the Operating Board throughout her time with us and I am hugely grateful to her for everything she has done,” he said. 

Meanwhile Clodagh Moriarty has been appointed chief retail and technology officer in what is an expansion of her former role of chief retail and digital officer. Moriarty joined Sainsbury’s four years ago and has been responsible for store operations, as well as its digital strategy across Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu, Sainsbury’s Bank and Nectar.

Moriarty’s role has been expanded following the retirement of Sainsbury’s chief information officer Phil Jordan, and “now also includes technology product, analytics and engineering to help us drive better, faster outcomes for our customers”, a Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said.

Jordan – who spent five years in the role – will continue working with Sainsbury’s in an advisory capacity.