Harris Farm CIO moves out of IT

Chief information officer of food retailer Harris Farm Markets Simon Maizels has moved out of the technology team and into a larger role heading gourmet buying and logistics following an internal company restructure.

Simon Maizels

Last Friday the retailer informed its staff it would undertake a restructure aimed at cutting costs out of the business.

As a result, Maizels was moved out of the tech department and into a significantly larger role leading one of the company's two buying teams as well as its logistics operations.

Leading the gourmet buying division means Maizels will be responsible for everything sold at the retailer apart from fruit and vegetables, while the logistics element sees him take control of all the company's delivery and storage of goods, including its two warehouses.

The move represents both a promotion and a big sea change for the long-term IT executive, who spent the past four years as CIO at Harris Farm and has a long history in the technology industry.

iTnews understands his new role was formed out of the amalgamation of two former positions. The executives who filled the formerly separate roles were let go in the recent restructure.

Phil Cribb, business systems analyst at Harris Farm Markets, is understood to be taking over leadership of the IT team in Maizels' absence.

It is not clear if the CIO title will remain.

Maizels and Harris Farm both declined to comment when approached by iTnews.