Katharine Challinor, the former director of retail at Allwyn, will be joining Morrisons next month as the head of independent franchise and new business.

Challinor will be replacing Nick Russell, who is leaving after three years, as the head of independent franchise and new business at Morrisons. In her new role, she will be responsible for supporting Morrisons’ franchise partners.

Before joining Allwyn, Katharine Challinor held senior roles at the Post Office, including director of branch retail design. From 2015 to 2017, she served as café trading manager at Sainsbury’s.

The appointment as head of independent franchise and new business at Morrisons comes at a time when the company is focusing on enhancing the support and service provided to its franchise partners.

Morrisons is doubling its ambient distribution centre and has begun receiving fresh inbound deliveries directly from suppliers to improve the consistency and freshness of the produce available to retailers.

“We’re delighted to be welcoming Katharine to our team as we continue to support our new and existing franchise partners,” said Morrisons convenience director Paul Dobson.

“Her extensive experience in this sector makes her a great addition to our team and we will be introducing her to our franchise partners properly as soon as she is fully on board.”

Challinor added: “I’ve always been passionate about helping convenience retailers grow sales and the vital roles they play in local communities, so I’m excited to be joining the Morrisons team and look forward to meeting with retailers soon.”