Chief executive, Co-operative Group

Peter Marks16x9

Peter Marks controls what is now the UK’s fifth largest grocer, after completing the purchase of Somerfield in a deal worth £1.6bn in March 2009.

He is well into the integration of the two businesses, having sold off some stores, and being in the process of rebranding the rest.

However, the integration is not going quite as smoothly as first thought, with Retail Week revealing in April that sales at the rebranded stores converted from Somerfield to Co-op fell 12.2% in the year to date.

Marks may be finding the integration challenging, but the Co-op still has a strong ethical message which resonates strongly with consumers following the bailout of the banks and the general distrust of large corporations.

If Marks can continue to sell Co-op’s ethos and drive efficiencies in the integration of Somerfield, he will create a leading convenience store group. But with the other grocers piling on space, he will still have a tough job competing with the big boys.