The Wholesale Group appoints Mark Aylwin as non-exec chairman

The Wholesale Group has appointed Mark Aylwin as non-executive chairman, effective 1 September 2025, and has also restructured its executive board.

Aylwin (pictured) brings more than 35 years of senior executive experience to the group. His background includes leadership roles at Booker Group, Blueheath, Musgrave, and most recently as chairman of Unitas Wholesale for over four years.

According to The Wholesale Group, his depth of expertise in wholesale, supply chain, and strategic transformation makes him ideally suited to support the organisation in its next stage of growth.

The restructure of the executive board sees Jess Douglas become managing director for people and operations; Tom Gittins, managing director for retail; and Coral Rose, managing director for foodservice. Douglas and Gittins were previously joint managing directors, while Rose was formerly co-chair of The Wholesale Group but before that managing director of Fairway Foodservice and, further back, Country Range Group.

The executive board of The Wholesale Group commented: “The Wholesale Group is unique because of our proven expertise across retail and foodservice wholesale combined with our passion for independent business. We want to sharpen this focus and have consequently restructured the executive board.”

Formed in January 2025 through the merger of Confex and Fairway Foodservice, The Wholesale Group has quickly become a major force in the UK wholesale market, serving more than 349,000 customers and representing 13.7% of the market with a £4.52 billion turnover.

Aylwin’s appointment signals a strong commitment to strategic leadership and governance as the group pursues its ambitious plans to grow turnover to £5 billion, expand its own-brand range, enhance central distribution and accelerate technology-driven innovation.

Commenting on his appointment, Aylwin said: “I’m honoured to be joining The Wholesale Group at such a pivotal and exciting time. The merger of Confex and Fairway has created a truly distinctive platform, a dynamic member network, and the scale needed to drive real market impact.

“As a third-generation family wholesale business, The Wholesale Group is uniquely positioned to understand and champion the needs of independent wholesalers. I’m excited to work alongside the directors and management team to strengthen supplier partnerships, support our members, and deliver long-term, sustainable value.”

The executive board of The Wholesale Group added: “Mark’s experience, strategic insight and industry leadership make him the natural choice for our new chairman and he will be a fantastic addition to the group. We’re confident his appointment will further strengthen our ability to deliver for members and lead the market with innovation, collaboration and growth.”