Ocado appoints CEO to head up new technology division to focus on robotics handling
Online grocer and tech firm has appointed its current chief operating officer to a new role as top boss of a new Ocado division.
Mark Richardson will step into the newly-created role of CEO as a new business which will extend Ocado’s “product offering into new market sectors alongside grocery.”
The upcoming launch of products under the Re:Imagined Ocado Smart Platform “will set an unrivalled level of performance both in price and throughout.”
The products will not only span the grocery category but “can also be adapted for automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) used in a wide range of market sectors,” a statement from the grocer said on Thursday morning.
It follows the group expanding outside of its core grocery focus with the takeovers of Kindred Systems and Haddington Dynamics in 2020.
“In 2020 Ocado Group expanded outside of Ocado Group will soon start a new business segment that combines these activities and over the next few years will revolutionise the whole ASRS and robotic handling sectors,” Tim Steiner, chief executive officer of Ocado Group, said.
He added: “Mark is a 20-year Ocado veteran and during this time has been responsible for teams spanning technology, platform implementation, and logistics.
“He also has extensive experience of working directly with the Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) sector.”
Ocado shares were boosted just over one per cent on Thursday afternoon.