The retirement of Morrisons group retail director Mark Gunter will complete the overhaul of the Bradford-based grocer’s management team under new boss Dalton Philips.

Gunter, who will retire in June 2012, has been with the business for more than 25 years and is the longest-serving member of the management team. Martyn Jones, who along with Gunter was a close lieutenant of founder Sir Ken Morrison, stepped down from the board last September and moved from his role of group trading director to a new role of group corporate services director.

His move made way for new group commercial director Richard Hodgson, who moved from Waitrose. Gunter said: “It’s the right time to step down. Dalton has built up a strong team to take the business forward. It’s about the next phase now.”

He said he would consider non-executive roles across business, charity or the creative arts.

Gunter will hand over to Morrisons stores director Mark Harrison, who will become group retail director on the management board.

The move follows a series of other appointments announced in January. Belinda Youngs moves from Sobeys in Canada to become own-brand director, Nick Collard is commercial director, ambient and frozen, moving from Boots, Gordon Mowat is strategy director, joining from McKinsey & Company, and Richard Lancaster is promoted to marketing director, while existing marketing director Angus Maciver left.