Rapid delivery startup Buyk hires James Walker as CEO
Buyk, a startup that promises grocery delivery from dark store to doorstep within 15 minutes, has appointed James Walker, former Senior Vice President for Restaurants at Nathan’s Famous, as CEO.
Buyk was founded by Slava Bocharov and Rodion Shishkov. The pair also co-founded Samokat, Russia’s largest grocery delivery company, in 2018 before selling their stake to fund Buyk.
Walker has more than 30 years of senior management experience in the hospitality and retail industries for brands such as Baja Fresh, Cinnabon, and Subway.
While at US-based fast food venture Nathan’s Famous, he oversaw the opening of nearly 300 dark kitchen locations, both domestically and internationally.
He comments: “I’m thrilled to join Buyk at such an exciting time. I’ve been highly impressed by both the company’s early success, as well as the proven expertise and track record of the founders.”
“Add its unique technology to the mix and you can see why I felt compelled to become part of the team. I am confident I can bring great value to the company and drive our fast growing operations to meet our ambitious goals.”
Bocharov says: “We feel that James’s expertise and experience in scaling businesses and bringing them to new markets are a valuable asset, and totally align with our goal of making Buyk a household name, first in the US, and then globally.”
“Crucially, James shares our vision regarding the future of retail and is determined to help Buyk lead the revolution in this industry.”
Bocharov and Shiskov will continue to oversee Buyk’s strategic vision and fundraising efforts, while Walker assumes responsibility for day to day operations, organisational development, new product development and partnerships.
