Morrisons boss talks about tough upbringing and his bond with Sir Ken
In an exclusive interview with the Yorkshire Post, Morrisons boss David Potts talks frankly about his impoverished childhood, having to use his grandmother's shoes to walk to school and the lasting legacy of Sir Ken Morrison.
From the age of 12, Mr Potts had to work to bolster his family's finances and this strong work ethic has continued as he masterminds Morrisons' return to rude health.
Mr Potts, a highly acclaimed Tesco veteran, was brought into Bradford-based Morrisons in 2015. It was not a happy time for the company, which was struggling after over-spending on non-essential items.
After only a month in the job, Mr Potts slashed the company back to basics, culling a third of head office jobs and half the board while creating 5,000 new jobs on the shop floor.
Alongside former Tesco veteran Andy Higginson, Mr Potts also binned the frivolities, saying goodbye to multi-millionaires Ant and Dec and Dalton Philips’ iconic misting machines and hello to a new focus on the customer.
The biggest battle the pair faced was persuading disgruntled shoppers who got fed up with yo-yo pricing to return to the Morrisons fold. Many had ditched the chain in favour of discounters, Aldi and Lidl, which were on average 10 per cent cheaper.
Sir Ken and Mr Potts had a strong working relationship with similar goals for the grocery chain and would regularly share a meal on Fridays in a Morrisons' cafe.
Mr Potts has spent the past six years getting Morrisons back on track.
Under his leadership, the grocer has also been at the forefront of battling the pandemic, helping out local communities, donating to food banks, providing discounts for key workers and helping housebound customers order their shopping by phone.