UK retailer Asda has announced changes to its leadership team with the appointment of a new vice-president of ambient and a new managing director of IPL.
Kristian Horabin will join Asda at the end of July as the vice-president ambient.
Currently a group buying director with Aldi and the national lead on Brexit and quality, Horabin is an experienced retail professional, who held various roles in Aldi’s commercial team across ambient, fresh, and GM over the last nine years.
Jane Berry has been appointed as the managing director of IPL, Asda’s wholly owned procurement and logistics business.
Chief Commercial Officer Appointment
Asda also confirmed that Kris Comerford will join the business next month to take on the role of chief commercial officer, as announced earlier this year.
Mike Snell, who has led the commercial team on an interim basis will hand over to Comerford over the summer, before leaving Asda in September to take on a new role.
Co-owner of Asda, Mohsin Issa, commented, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mike [Snell] for all his work leading the commercial team over the last six months, and for his many years of service at Asda and leading IPL.
"He has been a great asset to our business, [a] support to me and leaves for this next chapter with our best wishes."
Management Changes
The UK retailer also announced that its chief customer officer, Meg Farren, will leave the business this summer to take up the role of general manager of KFC, UK and Ireland.
In 2021, Farren joined Asda from KFC, where she had spent 10 years.
During her tenure at Asda, Farren was instrumental in developing Asda’s new brand vision and purpose, as well as leading a number of campaigns, including the launch of ‘Dropped and Locked’, a £45 million investment in lowering and locking the price of over 100 family favourites until the end of the year.
Mohsin Issa stated, "We are truly sad to see Meg [Farren] leave Asda, but also incredibly proud to see her take on this new opportunity to lead KFC in the UK and Ireland.
"During her time with us she has led the Customer Team and our vision and purpose work with passion and creativity. She leaves us with a great legacy, and we wish her all the best for the future."
Read More: Asda Sees Sales Fall 9.2% In First Quarter
Farren will hand over her role in the coming months to Sam Dickson, vice-president of Asda brand and proposition, who will lead the customer team on an interim basis.
Dickson joined Asda in 2021 from Waitrose and has led the reinvention of Asda’s Extra Special and Smart Price ranges, with its new expanded value range, Just Essentials landing in stores nationwide this month.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
