Booker promotes Stuart Hyslop to chief operations officer

Booker has promoted Stuart Hyslop to chief operations officer. His appointment follows the departure of predecessor Jonny McQuarrie in June.

Former managing director – Catering & Small Businesses, Hyslop (pictured) has consistently delivered strong results for the cash & carry/wholesaler.

For example, the Booker Catering division achieved 25.2% growth to £2.11 billion in the 2022/2023 financial year, while in 23/24 catering sales were up by 10.2%. Most recently, in the 24/25 financial year, core catering like-for-like sales increased by 2.1% despite a challenging market backdrop.

Hyslop has worked for Booker for more than 32 years. After completing an HND in Consumer & Business Services at Glasgow Caledonian University, he started on the checkouts of Booker in 1993 and worked his way up to branch management before becoming area controller in 2002. Between 2003 and 2014 he held the roles of head of operations support, regional director and sales director.

In 2014, Hyslop was appointed managing director of Makro and led its turnaround after its acquisition by Booker. He was then appointed to his most recent post of managing director – Catering & Small Businesses in 2015. In that role, he has been responsible for £2.5 billion sales to 440,000 independent and group caterers and 500,000 small businesses from the 190 Booker/Makro branches across the UK.

A Booker Group executive committee member, Hyslop is also a company-nominated pension trustee. In addition, he is a lead male ally within the Women @ Booker network and was named in the INvolve HERoes Global Role Models List 2024.

As a result of Hyslop’s promotion to COO, Leigh Baker, Booker’s Catering sales director, will step in to lead the Catering team on an interim basis.

Another recent appointment to Booker’s executive team is Richard Lamb, who has become technology director. He was previously chief information officer & online director at Tesco Central Europe.