New finance broom at Sainsbury

SUPERMARKETS chain J Sainsbury has named Darren Shapland, currently finance director at Carpetright, as its new finance director. He replaces Roger Matthews, who resigned in October and is due to leave the struggling retail group at the end of March.

Shapland's appointment is the latest signing for chief executive Justin King who has brought in several top retail figures since he joined Sainsbury early last year.

Other new recruits include Lawrence Christensen, the former group operations director at Safeway, who is managing the restructuring of Sainsbury's supply chain after problems stocking some stores last year. The company has also taken on Ken McMeikan as UK retail director. He was previously chief executive of Tesco's operations in Japan.

King said today that Shapland had 'excellent experience in the retail sector and has undertaken a number of hands-on and broad financial roles.'

Shapland will receive a £400,000 salary and also joins the group's bonus scheme and share option plan. He has been finance director at Carpetright since 2002. Previously he held senior financial and operational positions at Burton Group, Arcadia and Kingfisher. His last job before Carpetright was finance director at Superdrug, the High Street chemists chain.

Shapland will stay at Carpetright until the company reports full-year figures at the end of June.

Separately, Marks & Spencer is also believed to be on the verge of announcing a new finance director. M&S chief executive Stuart Rose said last autumn that Alison Reed would be leaving at the end of February, though she has agreed to stay on until her successor is found.

Shapland was one of several retail sector accountants who were linked to the role. Others in the frame include Matalan's Phil Dutton, and Asda finance director Judith McKenna, who are married to each other.

Boots is also on the hunt for a new finance director following the shock resignation of Howard Dodd. He stepped down just six weeks after a profits warning ? City analysts believe that the company's trading update at the beginning of the year was less than the full picture of its trading problems.