Nicola McIntosh appointed chief people officer at A.F. Blakemore

A.F. Blakemore, SPAR distributor and one of the UK’s largest privately owned family businesses, has on Wednesday announced the appointment of Nicola McIntosh as its new chief people officer, effective 20 May.

McIntosh joins Blakemore from Rotherham, Doncaster, and South Humber NHS Trust, where she served as executive board director of people and organisational development. In this role, she played a key role in navigating the Trust's workforce through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prior to that, McIntosh held leadership positions at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Jet2Holidays, and Morrisons, where she established a strong reputation for delivering innovative L&D programs, organisational development strategies, and leadership development initiatives.

“In line with our unwavering commitment to being colleague and customer centric, we are thrilled to welcome Nicola McIntosh to A.F. Blakemore as our new chief people officer,” Carol Welch, A.F. Blakemore chief executive, commented.

“Nicola brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in leading and developing high-performing teams, particularly during challenging times.”

Welch added: "Nicola's deep understanding of the complexities of people and leadership, coupled with her passion for creating high performing teams in inclusive work environments, perfectly aligns with our values at A.F. Blakemore, her expertise will be invaluable as we continue to foster a culture that empowers our colleagues and drives long-term success for our organisation. We are excited to welcome her to A.F. Blakemore and wish her all the best in her new role.”

McIntosh stated: “I’ve loved my time at the NHS but I’m delighted to move back into retail where my experience and knowledge of championing performance can be used across all functions and disciplines. I thrive in organisations where the culture prioritises their people and it was clear that A.F. Blakemore, whilst employing a workforce of over 7,000 people, still retained the family values that are at the heart of its DNA.”