Dive Brief:
- Ethnic e-grocer Weee announced retail veteran John Burry as its new chief merchandising officer, according to a Thursday press release.
- Burry spent the majority of his career at food retailer Tesco. He held executive roles with the company’s Fresh & Easy chain in the U.S., which built up around 200 stores in three western states before closing in 2013 after just five years in business.
- Burry’s hiring brings an experienced grocery executive to Weee’s c-suite as the e-grocer continues to build out its leadership ranks.
Dive Insight:
As chief merchandising officer, Burry will work on further developing Weee’s consumer experience as the company advances its food-at-home offerings, the announcement noted.
Burry worked at Tesco for more than 17 years, serving as the food retailer’s director of global innovation before leaving the company in 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile. At Fresh & Easy, Tesco’s short-lived U.S. grocery venture, he initially held the role of chief commercial officer and in 2011 was promoted to the chief customer officer position.
After leaving Tesco, Burry advised a number of brands on their acquisition, growth and overall strategies, the press release noted. These companies included British quick delivery firm Zapp; online education subscription platform MasterClass; food and beverage business Dose; and Ready, Set, Food, an allergen introduction system for babies, per his LinkedIn.
Burry took over the chief merchandising position at Weee in August, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Weee went on a hiring streak earlier this year, tapping a number of experts in their respective fields to bolster its position in the grocery industry and hone its focus on social commerce.
In early February, Weee hired Jon M. Chu, director of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights,” to be its chief creative officer and improve the company’s “storytelling” around ethnic cuisines. Later that same month, former Ahold USA CEO James McCann was brought on to Weee’s board.
At the end of February, Weee raised $425 million in Series E funding, bringing its valuation up to $4.1 billion. Weee said its plans with the new funding were to put it towards introducing new ethnic cuisines, growing existing categories, expanding geographically and improving innovation in warehouse automation and artificial intelligence.
