Supermarket chain Morrisons has appointed a new group human resources director to boost staff morale.
Emily Lawson will join the Bradford retailer from business consultancy McKinsey & Company where she is a partner and leads the firm’s human-capital practice.
Lawson has been picked for her experience in leading large-scale transformation programmes in global organisations, and work across a host of industries aside from retail including healthcare, financial services and telecoms. She has also been the director of one of McKinsey’s leadership development programmes and a leader of McKinsey’s work on diversity, including its Women Matter report.
Lawson will take up her post at Morrisons in September and will also serve on the company’s management board. She will work closely with inerim group HR director Neal Austin to ensure a smooth handover.
Dalton Philips, Morrisons chief executive said:“Emily is a world class Human Resources practitioner and her role will be vital in our transformation of Morrisons into a multi-format, multi-channel retailer. She has fantastic experience working with organisations to ensure their colleagues deliver their strategy and I am confident she will encourage a similar collective purpose and passion at Morrisons.”
As Morrisons expands its convenience-store business and launches into online grocery following poor sales in recent months, Lawson will also be working on the continued development of its service culture.
She said: “I relish the opportunity of joining Morrisons at this exciting time for the business. Morrisons is one of the largest private sector employers in the UK and I am looking forward to working with colleagues across the business to build an environment where everyone can do their best work, deliver the excellent service for which the business is renowned, and support the communities in which the business operates.”
