Consumer Industries Writer
Wholesaler Spar has rejected a call by its retailer base to remove chair Mike Bosman, despite a formal petition citing a “serious and collective loss of confidence” in his leadership.
The petition, submitted on May 8 by elected representatives of the Spar National Council following a meeting with group executives led by CEO Reeza Isaacs, calls on the board to request Bosman’s resignation “with immediate effect”.
Spar operates more than 13,800 branded stores across 48 countries on four continents.
The retailers said the call was prompted by rising concerns about the group’s performance and growing tension between the board and the independent store network. “Retailers are the foundation of the Spar voluntary trading model. We trade under the Spar name every day; we carry the brand in our communities and we experience directly the consequences of decisions taken at group level. In our considered view, the current crisis of confidence has reached a point where Mr Bosman’s continued tenure as chair has become untenable.”
