Elaine Watson
Asda’s director of private label Penny Coates is leaving the chain to take up a more senior role in a different industry.
Details of her new role have not been announced publicly, but Coates said it represented “an exciting opportunity in a business with significant investment planned over the next 18 months to enhance its retail and catering activities”.
She will be succeeded by business unit director for grocery, Richard Hodgson.
Coates, whose background in food manufacturing and health and beauty retail has involved stints at Mars, PepsiCo and Boots, joined Asda six years ago
as business unit director for health, beauty and speciality.
Since then she has progressed rapidly to become business unit director for chilled and prepared foods before taking up her role at the helm of Asda’s own label business two years ago.
One of the highest-ranking women in the food industry, Coates raised her profile recently with an appearance at a Commons Select Committee inquiry into obesity, where she announced plans to trial fruit at Asda’s checkouts and urged the industry to take a unified approach to health-related issues such as labelling.
She has also overhauled Asda’s Good for You! healthy eating ranges, expanded the premium Extra Special ranges and revamped the Smartprice economy range to reduce fat, sugar and salt levels.
Asda’s director of private label Penny Coates is leaving the chain to take up a more senior role in a different industry.
Details of her new role have not been announced publicly, but Coates said it represented “an exciting opportunity in a business with significant investment planned over the next 18 months to enhance its retail and catering activities”.
She will be succeeded by business unit director for grocery, Richard Hodgson.
Coates, whose background in food manufacturing and health and beauty retail has involved stints at Mars, PepsiCo and Boots, joined Asda six years ago
as business unit director for health, beauty and speciality.
Since then she has progressed rapidly to become business unit director for chilled and prepared foods before taking up her role at the helm of Asda’s own label business two years ago.
One of the highest-ranking women in the food industry, Coates raised her profile recently with an appearance at a Commons Select Committee inquiry into obesity, where she announced plans to trial fruit at Asda’s checkouts and urged the industry to take a unified approach to health-related issues such as labelling.
She has also overhauled Asda’s Good for You! healthy eating ranges, expanded the premium Extra Special ranges and revamped the Smartprice economy range to reduce fat, sugar and salt levels.
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