Justin King
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Justin King is CEO of J Sainsbury plc, parent company of the UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's.
King joined the company on March 29 2004 and is seen as the company's last chance to win back market share from its rivals and remain independent - the previous CEO, Sir Peter Davis, failed to halt the supermarket's slide in market position despite a £3Bn investment in infrastructure.
King was previously Director of Food at Marks and Spencer and has held senior positions at ASDA. King was involved in the introduction of Haagen Dazs ice cream to the UK and has worked for Pepsi-Cola International and Mars.
Some significant decisions have been made since his arrival:
- The departure of several executives.
- Hiring of respected industry figures to the board.
- Aggressive (in Sainsbury's historical terms) price cuts
- Hiring of 3,000 shopfloor staff to improve availability
- Supply chain changes
- Dropping of "Making life taste better" slogan in May 2005.
One thing King has not changed is the company's association with the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver who signed a £1.2m contract in early May 2004 and a similarly payed extension in May 2005.
External links
- Sainsbury's Corporate Website (http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.cfm)
- Sainsbury's Supermarkets Homepage (http://www.sainsbury.co.uk)