Asda has announced another major shake-up in management, as co-owner Mohsin Issa continues his efforts to get the struggling supermarket firing on all cylinders again.
In the latest in a series of departures and new arrivals, chief transformation officer Mark Simpson is to leave the business “by mutual consent”, the supermarket confirmed.
Simpson is an Asda veteran, having joined the business in 1997 and held a number of senior roles including chief supply chain officer.
It is understood the chief transformation officer role will no longer exist, with many of Simpson’s responsibilities to be taken on by former Morrisons chief information officer Matt Kelleher, who is to join Asda later this month.
Kelleher will take on responsibility for the delivery of the Future programme, which sees Asda grappling with the task of uncoupling its IT systems from former parent Walmart, with a year to go before the process is due to be completed.
Meanwhile Paul Gillow, vice-president and commercial director for food, is said to have decided the time is right for him to leave Asda after 21 years.
Asda said Gillow intended to spend time with his family before moving on to his next challenge.
In addition, Kevin McBride, vice president for retail north, is retiring after 27 years with Asda. He will leave at the end of August.
However, Asda also announced another major incoming signing in the form of Andrew Staniland, group buying director at Iceland and The Food Warehouse. Asda said Staniland would join Asda in a VP role next March.
Staniland joined Iceland in 2019 from Aldi, where he served as buying director for three years having previously been buying manager at Morrisons.
He is the second senior figure Asda has poached from Iceland within days, after the supermarket last week announced the frozen specialist’s digital chief David Devany was to be its new vice president for e-commerce.
Confirming Simpson’s departure, a spokesman for Asda said: “We can confirm that Mark Simpson has left the business today by mutual agreement. We would like to thank Mark for his years of service with Asda and wish him well for the future.”
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