Asda boss Roger Burnley has continued his management shake-up with the announcement that Phil Briggs, VP of non-edible grocery, is leaving the retailer.
The announcement comes less than a week after Burnley axed Jesús Lorente, just seven months into the role of chief merchandising officer.
Briggs, in contrast, has been at Asda for nearly 30 years, taking up his top sales role in 2009.
He has been replaced by VP of own brand at Asda Lizzy Massey, who joined the Walmart-owned supermarket in 2014 from Nestlé.
She has also held previous roles as VP trading strategy and NPD and VP customer.
In a message to suppliers, Burnley said: “After 26 years, Phil Briggs has today left the business and I would like to thank him for the contribution he has made over this time and wish him the best for the future. Lizzy has done a fantastic job leading the Own Brand Trading team and she brings a breadth of experience to this role.”
Sources said Burnley, who became CEO in January, has been keen to put his stamp on the top team at Asda as he seeks to continue on its recent improvement in performance.
The focus on Asda’s sales team has been even greater with the Sainsbury’s merger on the horizon, with sources suggesting it has been difficult for Asda to tie down long-term deals with suppliers amid the uncertainty of the merger plans.
One industry source said: “The latest move is another example of the decisive management of Roger Burnley. He is a man not afraid to make decisions and has clear ideas about the team he wants around him.”
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