Asda boss Allan Leighton has announced a major revamp of its commercial team, and revealed former Lidl COO Matt Heslop will no longer be joining the supermarket.
Leighton, who has been parachuted in to get Asda back on course after a disastrous 2024, said the moves were designed to “satisfy the daily and weekly shopping needs of ordinary working people and their families who demand value”.
Under the changes, Liz Evans is taking up the position of chief commercial officer for non-food and retail. She will lead its large store operations on a permanent basis, alongside her continued leadership of the George clothing brand.
Asda has also created a new position on its executive team of chief supply chain officer, yet to be formally appointed, to oversee all its food and general merchandise operations.
The supermarket said it was bolstering the food team under chief commercial officer for food Kris Comerford, with former Accolade Wines boss Ade McKeon rejoining Asda as vice president for ambient,
Leighton said Asda’s beer, wines and spirits, core grocery, impulse grocery, non-edible and healthcare teams would all report to McKeon.
McKeon was a brand director at Asda before going on to become Accolade Wines general manager and European MD, leaving the company in 2020.
Meanwhile, Gemma Lightbody will also be rejoining Asda from Marks & Spencer as business unit director for impulse grocery, also reporting to McKeon.
Matt Shields is set to join from Aldi as business unit director for core grocery. Matt Wood will take on the role of SD commercial operations, reporting directly to Comerford with immediate effect.
However, Asda said today that former Lidl chief operating officer Matt Heslop – whose appointment to run its stores and distribution network, including its 470-strong Asda Express division, was announced in June – would no longer be joining.
Heslop was with Lidl for more than 20 years, joining in 2002 as a graduate, and for the past five years was a board member in its UK and Ireland operations.
He is the second high-profile hiring by Asda to subsequently not join as expected. In November it was revealed that Andrew Staniland, former group buying director at Iceland and The Food Warehouse, had decided to join Morrisons instead of taking up a senior role at Asda as announced last summer.
However, Asda stressed that this was not a repeat of the Staniland situation and the latest management changes had been driven by Leighton and his plans for a new direction which meant Asda’s hiring of Heslop no longer fitted its plans, despite his strong track record.
It said Evans has impressed in her role and was seen as a key figures in his turnaround plans.
Leighton said: “Asda’s mission is to deliver the value ordinary working people, and their families, demand from us. To do this, we need to be and are rediscovering our ‘Asda-ness’. I’m delighted to be announcing these leadership changes as we start this journey.”
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