Retailer QD Commercial Group Holdings is to make key changes to its operations management following the news that group managing director Justin Farrington Smith has accepted a role in the global logistics market.
Mr Farrington Smith described the group - which comprises retail fascias QD Stores, Cherry Lane Garden Centres, Lathams and Thingmebobs - as "a wonderful company with some great people, and I've loved my time working here. However, I've been made an offer with tremendous prospects I felt I should take with a rising star in the containerisation sector.

"I advised the board of my intention in June of last year and announced the same to all my colleagues last week at our managers' conference, following several key posts being filled."

Former operations controller at Morrisons, David Haycox, now joins the QD board as operations director, reporting to group chief executive Nick Rubins, while James Collins and Karl Ottolangui have been promoted to associate directors responsible for trading and logistics respectively.

Since joining the board of Norwich-based QD from Safeway in 2006, Mr Farrington Smith has presided over the near doubling in number of the group's stores, the development and introduction of house brands and the upcoming launch in March of a transactional online facility spanning all of QD's product lines.