The Co-op Group has announced a new role – head of insight and research – as part of ongoing growth to its data, digital and loyalty team.
The move, which follows the refresh of its membership programme and launch of the Co-op app last year, sees Nick Meagher move to the Group from Tesco, where he was head of customer insight, where he worked across the brand’s marketing communications, loyalty proposition and foresight.
Mr Meagher will start next month, reporting directly to Charlotte Lock – director of data, digital and loyalty at the Group – to drive the its membership ambitions. He will take on insight and research leadership for the Food, Insurance, Funeralcare, Legal, Community and Membership functions.
Welcoming him, Ms Lock said: “Nick is a first-class insight and research leader and his focus on purpose aligns with our Co-operative values and vision of co-operating for a fairer world.
“Thanks to his loyalty club experiences, Nick will play an instrumental part in helping us to supercharge our membership commitments, as well as make meaningful differences to the lives of our members and communities.”
Mr Meagher, whose CV also includes global insight leadership roles with Unilever and Mondelez International, said: “Joining the Co-op is a great opportunity to be part of what must be one of the original, and certainly most enduring, purpose led businesses, founded long before the term was even coined.
“As an insights expert the way the Group spans across both significant and everyday moments in customers’ lives, gives us a really precious resource in connecting data-sets to drive strong customer understanding and empathy.”
The Group says its digital Membership app, launched in 2020, has been downloaded by more than a million members, enabling “tailored and meaningful offers, engagements and benefits for members, while doubling funds being given to community groups”.
In another recent appointment, the Group has hired awarding winning chef David (Dai) Llewelyn to guide the culinary direction for its convenience and wholesale food businesses. As executive innovation chef, he will oversee product creation for Group ranges such as GRO and Irresistible.
Working alongside Breige Donaghy, director of delicious food, he will lead the culinary team in developing new products, identify emerging food trends, implement new technologies and champion sustainability.
The Group says the role of Innovation chef is an increasingly important for food retailers, with sustainability, traceability and health becoming higher priorities for shoppers.
Mr Llewleyn has 15 years’ experience in the food industry, with his most recent in-house role being executive development and innovation chef at Greencor. He was won accolades at the British Sandwich Designer of the Year awards and was named Free From Pasta Chef of the Year 2019.
He said: “I am so excited to have the opportunity to join the Co-op team, and become part of a brand that puts so much into the quality of its food and how it sources ingredients. I look forward to having the opportunity to inspire and educate further and continue to deliver good food, taking ingredients and turning them into food that makes people happy.”
