Truce at Morrisons as non-execs join board

MORRISONS chairman Sir Ken and his deputy David Jones put their hostilities on hold for long enough to appoint three non-executive directors.

This will tilt the balance of power away from Sir Ken, whose father founded the supermarket business. However, it is likely to be Jones, not Sir Ken, who steps down shortly.

Relations between the pair have become so fractious that Jones is expected to walk out within weeks - as soon as he signs up a chairman-in-waiting.

Former Mars executive Brian Flanagan, 53, and Nigel Robertson, 45, exmanaging director of internet food retailer Ocado, will be joining the board as independent directors on July 1.

Susan Murray, 48, former Littlewoods chief executive and now a serial non-executive director, is also joining. She is on the board of SSL, Enterprise Inns and Imperial Tobacco.

None of the new non-executives appear to have a full-time job. A spokesman said: 'Sir Ken is delighted to have the services of three such talented people.'

The appointments were finalised at a board meeting yesterday following a lengthy and 'acrimonious' meeting between Sir Ken and Jones. Jones wants to install a new executive team, and has been trying to unseat Sir Ken and his chief executive Bob Stott.

Jones is still trying to recruit a successor for Stott and some more independent directors. Morrisons (down 2p to 178p) said that 'a further announcement will be made within the next four weeks' on non-executive directors.

One of them will become deputy chairman, succeeding Jones, with a view to eventually taking over the chairmanship from Sir Ken. It is also likely to restructure the board so that there are fewer executive directors.

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