US convenience store chain The Pantry has named ex-Harris Teeter chairman and CEO Thomas Dickson as chairman of its board of directors.

Dickson replaces Edwin Holman who held the position since 2009. Dickson was at Harris Teeter from 1997 until the sale of the regional US retailer to Kroger at the start of the year.

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The appointment comes weeks after The Pantry shareholders voted to give Dickson a seat on the board amid disagreement between the retailer and a group of investors over company strategy.

The Pantry was the subject of criticism from a group of shareholders, led by funds JCP Investment Management and Lone Start Value Management.

The group, which called itself Concerned Pantry Shareholders, or CPS, slammed the retailer’s financial record in the last decade. Ahead of The Pantry’s annual meeting on 13 March, CPS called on shareholders to elect three “highly qualified and independent” nominees to the company’s board, replacing directors including chairman Holman.

The Pantry included Dickson in a slate of candidates it wanted to shareholders to vote for seats on its board as its AGM last month. The retailer urged shareholders to vote for its slate of nine nominees, including the re-election of Holman.

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However, at the meeting, Holman was not elected – and shareholders voted to elect Dickson, among others, to The Pantry board.

The Pantry operates 1,537 stores in thirteen states under select banners including Kangaroo Express.

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