Bradford, England, United Kingdom, October 2025 — Morrisons, one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains, has announced the appointment of Stuart Kempster as Head of People – Retail & Convenience. In his new capacity, Stuart will lead the people strategy across Morrisons’ retail and convenience operations, driving talent development, employee engagement, and capability enhancement for over 70,000 colleagues nationwide.
Stuart has been with Morrisons for more than 17 years, steadily rising through a range of HR leadership roles that span retail, employee relations, and organizational change. Most recently, he served as Head of People – Retail, where he was responsible for the people function across 500 supermarkets, leading business change, operational execution, and strategic talent initiatives in partnership with the Group Retail Director.
Prior to that, Stuart held the role of Head of People – Employee Relations, Change & Policy, a group-wide position covering retail, manufacturing, logistics, convenience, and head office. In this role, he oversaw critical areas including industrial relations, diversity and inclusion, occupational health, and wellbeing, ensuring Morrisons maintained a people-first approach across all business units.
Earlier in his career, he held progressive HR roles including Senior People Manager – Retail Learning & Development, Senior HR Business Partner, and Regional People Manager, where he played a key role in driving transformation across store operations. He also worked as Area Personnel & Training Manager and Store HR Manager, leading people development and performance initiatives across regions in North Wales, the English Borders, and the North West.
Stuart began his professional journey as a Personnel/Payroll Clerk with Morrisons before advancing to HR Assistant at Stephensons Solicitors LLP, marking the early stages of what has become an exceptional HR leadership career. His deep understanding of people operations and his ability to balance strategic vision with operational excellence have made him a cornerstone of Morrisons’ HR leadership team.
About Morrisons
Morrisons is one of the UK’s most beloved and trusted supermarket chains, renowned for its fresh produce, community partnerships, and commitment to quality. The company takes pride in its integrated model — spanning stores, distribution centres, manufacturing sites, and head office — ensuring the highest standards across every touchpoint of the business.
At Morrisons, people truly ‘Make Morrisons’. The company’s team spirit and customer-first culture drive everything it does, supported by robust training, strong career progression opportunities, and a collaborative workplace ethos. Morrisons continues to invest in innovation, community engagement, and sustainability while offering customers the freshest food at great value for money.
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