Dan Ronald and Giles Hurley have been appointed as the new general managing directors of Aldi UK and Ireland, following the promotion of Matthew Barnes to the new role of CEO. Both start their new roles on 1 September.

Like Barnes and former GMD Roman Heini, Ronald and Hurley are Aldi lifers. “Dan has been in operations for 17 years and Giles has been trading and buying for 14 years, so it is a fantastic combination,” said Barnes. “The three of us will be a team. They report to me, but we will tackle the challenge together.”

Ronald joined Aldi as area manager in 1998 after graduating from Southampton University. He was promoted to store operations director in 2002 then regional MD for Neston in 2006. He took up his current role as MD of the Swindon region in 2010.

Hurley joined Aldi Ireland as area manager in 2000 after graduating from Trinity College, Dublin.

He was promoted to trading director for Aldi Ireland in 2002, and he was promoted to group buying director for Ireland in 2007.

He joined Aldi UK as regional managing director in 2010 and started his current role in 2014.

Both men are married with three children.

Barnes said Aldi had “absolutely not” considered looking outside the business to fill the roles.

“At board level we have so many fantastic people we would never consider it,” he said. “We don’t lack calibre and excellence and we are very much about promoting from within.”

Barnes’ new role as CEO will see him bridge the gap between Aldi UK and Ireland and the international Aldi business, though he will remain based in the UK.

His former “partner in crime” Roman Heini left the UK on 1 April to become chairman of the advisory board at Aldi Sud in Germany.

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