Foodstuffs North Island taps Spark executive Chris Quin as CEO

New Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin.

Foodstuffs North Island, part of the group of cooperatives that constitute New Zealand's biggest supermarket operator, named Spark New Zealand executive Chris Quin as its chief executive.

Quin will replace Murray Jordan, who will step down in September after 11 years with Foodstuffs.

Quin's currently executive in charge of Spark's home, business and mobile division.

He resigned from Spark in January and finishes at the end of June.

"Chris understands the Kiwi consumer and the role of technology in serving them," FSNI chairman Peter Anderson said in a statement.

"These are essential ingredients in the changing landscape of grocery."

Quin is chairman of business incubator The Icehouse and received a Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award in 2010.

Foodstuffs has 459 New World, Pak'nSave and Four Square stores and competes with Countdown, the supermarket chain owned by Australia's Woolworths, with more than 170 outlets.