SPAR UK’s Managing Director Louise Hoste has been appointed as the new Chair of the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).
She will take up the position in November, replacing Central England Co-operative Chief Executive Debbie Robinson who has served in the role since November 2019 and will remain on the ACS board.
Independent retailer Ramesh Shingadia will be continuing in the role of Vice Chair.
Hoste joined SPAR in September 2019 following an extensive retail career. This included working for Walmart in the UK, Canada and Chile in commercial, customer and general management roles. After leaving Walmart, she was Director of Category and Pricing at Brakes Foodservice, followed by Director of the Customer Offer at the Co-op.
“It really is an honour to be able to support and contribute to all the work that the ACS does, especially as we have seen over the last 18 months how vital the team has been to the sector,” said Hoste.
“Local convenience stores have shown how important they are to the communities we live in. They enhance and enable them to thrive. I want to ensure that we capture the momentum that now exists for local stores, and through using the latest innovations and listening to customers we can provide a relevant and progressive offer for our membership.”
After thanking Robinson for her contribution to the trade association, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “I am delighted to be working with Louise as ACS chair. She has been a key part of ACS activity from the board since she joined in 2019, and she was a unanimous and enthusiastic choice to become chair.
“Louise and Ramesh will lead ACS through the next phase of pandemic recovery and beyond.”
