Company Shop Group, the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products, has today announced the appointment of Owen McLellan as its new Managing Director.

Owen will take over from outgoing Managing Director Steph McGinty, who having led the business through a successful two-year period following the Group’s acquisition by waste management company Biffa, takes on the role of Sourcing and Partnerships Director.

Owen joined the business as Group Finance Director in May 2022 from Morrisons, where he held senior Finance and Strategy roles during his 10-year tenure with the supermarket.

To enhance the Group’s impact, Owen will oversee the further development of the business’ expert intervention capabilities, helping existing and new industry partners to redistribute all types of surplus stock. This includes working with partners on their manufacturing sites to identify and capture unfinished products that are higher up the supply chain and typically harder to reach.

Expanding the reach of the Group’s award-winning social enterprise, Community Shop, is also firmly embedded into plans. This follows a record Christmas period where more individuals and families than ever before were able to benefit from the high-quality, low-cost food and products on offer, alongside life-changing personal development support.

As a Non-Executive Director for the Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust alongside his Company Shop Group role, Owen will also provide invaluable insight as the business continues to actively support NHS workers through its retail store membership, which is also open to other key worker categories, and employees within the FMCG food and supply chain industry.

Michael Topham, CEO for Biffa, said: 

“I would like to congratulate Owen on his appointment as Managing Director. Company Shop Group is central to our strategy of providing businesses with an end-to-end solution for all their surplus and waste, and I’m looking forward to seeing him continue the great work that Steph has delivered over the past two years.” 

Owen McLellan, Managing Director for Company Shop Group, said: 

“During my time with the business, I’ve been extremely impressed by the passion of our team and the impact that our sustainable redistribution model makes for our industry partners and the communities we serve. 

“In today’s landscape, Company Shop Group has a more important role than ever, helping businesses achieve their ESG commitments and wider sustainability objectives as part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Our priority is to continue meeting these demands and use our unrivalled technical capabilities and expertise to extend into new categories and supply chains to help more companies to realise the value of their surplus.” 

Company Shop Group’s vision is that no surplus products go to waste and it provides unparalleled solutions to the industry, handling almost any surplus that can be eaten, used or worn. It works with retailers, manufacturers and businesses to handle more than 100 million surplus items a year (equivalent to c.40,000 tonnes) providing a financial, social and environmental return.