Palmer & Harvey has accepted the resignation of chief operating officer Helen Buck, who has stepped down for personal reasons after just five months in the role.

Buck was appointed to the role in November 2015 after 10 years’ employment at Sainsbury’s, where she held a number of senior roles.

P&H is searching for a replacement but claims it is well placed in the interim period, having strengthened its senior management team over the last couple of years with the appointment of Mark Leonard as group operations director, and an enhanced depot management team.

Chris Etherington, chairman and CEO of Palmer & Harvey, said: “Our strong management team is making significant progress in line with our strategy, which is focused on delivering a first-class service underpinned by operational efficiency to the benefit of all of our customers and suppliers.”