David Cheesewright and Andy Clarke are returning to the Asda fold as the number two retailer aims to become a leaner, meaner fighting machine.
Asda president Andy Bond drafted in the duo after admitting this week that the company had “got a bit flabby” as he announced the loss of 1,400 management jobs, mainly from junior positions in-store.
Cheesewright will return from his 12-month secondment as chief operating officer at Wal-Mart in Canada to become chief operating officer and trading director for Asda on October 1.
Andy Clarke will return to Asda after a three-year gap to
become retail director from September 5 - a position he left in 2002 to work at Matalan and then Iceland.
Current trading and marketing director Angela Spindler will take up the new role of customer and strategy director when Cheesewright arrives.
Bond said the new top team, all in their early 40s, would be charged with driving forward five new building blocks for recovering the core business, such as simplifying internal procedures and cutting queues.
Analysts have largely welcomed the repositioning. One said: “This looks like a good line up to drive the business forward at a difficult time for Asda. Never mind catching Tesco, the first job these guys have to do is put some distance between themselves and Sainsbury, which is snapping at Asda’s heels.”
Robert Wiseman Dairies has appointed David Dobbins and Martyn Mulcahy to its board as executive directors. Dobbins is commercial director at Robert Wiseman. Mulcahy is operations director.
David Rae, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, has joined the board of the PASS Scheme, which was set up to streamline the number of proof of age cards available.
C-store video supplier Video Box Office has promoted Richard Whalley to commercial director. He was previously operations director. Meanwhile, Rob Standen has been promoted to the role of national account controller.
Linda Cross has been appointed to the Board of the Sea Fish Industry Authority. She is currently MD of Trawlpac Seafoods Limited.
Simon Mowbray
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