1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188 
Fresh flavour for FTA boss
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Former ETA boss Lawrence Christensen is going to wield a new broom for Sainsbury's distribution network. Guy Sheppard reports.
FORMER FREIGHT Transport Association president Lawrence Christensen is joining supermarket giant Sainsbury's to sort out its troubled distribution network.
He replaces supply chain director Martin White who oversaw a massive investment programme which, industry observers say. failed to deliver the expected benefits. Christensen was group operations director of rival supermarket chain Safeway until shortly after its takeover by Morrisons this summer.
He says:" I have always been an admirer of the Sainsbury's brand and I am delighted to be joining the team at this important time."
Christensen is on a 16-month contract and will help recruit a long-term successor.
Clive Black, retail analyst at investment group Shore Capital, says plans for a distribution centre in Berkshire have been scrapped within the past two months because of the expense. "Sainsbury's has upgraded facilities in Scotland, Merseyside and Bristol but paradoxically, it has most of its business in the SouthEast," he adds. "The whole thing has been chaotic."
The Transport & General Workers Union, which represents most employees in Sainsbury's distribution centres, welcomes Christensen's appointment. Brian Revell, T&G national organiser for the food industry, says: "I have worked with him in the past and feel confident he will make a positive contribution to both the company and our members."
Christensen was FTA president from 1997 to 2001, serving twice as long as most of his predecessors because he wanted to see through the failed attempt to merge with the Road Haulage Association.