British supermarket group Asda has announced that retail director Ken Towle is leaving the business less than ten months after starting the job.
Asda, owned since 2021 by brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa and private equity company TDR Capital, said the departure of Towle, who was responsible for the group's over 600 stores, was "mutually decided".
Britain's third largest grocer after market leader Tesco and Sainsbury's announced former Tesco director Towle's recruitment from convenience chain Nisa in January 2022 but he did not start the job until May.
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Chief Customer Officer
Asda also announced that it has appointed Aldi UK veteran David Hills as its new chief customer officer.
Hills has been at the German-owned discounter since 2007 and is currently group director, marketing and communications.
Asda said acting chief customer officer, Sam Dickson, will continue in the role until Hills arrives later this year and will then assume a strategy role for the Asda and George brands.
Asda had a tough 2022 but in November reported a return to quarterly sales growth, while industry data has shown its sales growth matching that of Tesco and Sainsbury's.
Mohsin Issa, co-owner of Asda commented, “The customer team led by Sam has delivered new customer propositions such as Just Essentials, and Dropped and Locked that show how we are supporting customers during these challenging times.
“Sam will support David when he joins before transitioning into a new role looking at strategic customer initiatives. I would also like to thank Ken Towle for his contribution to the business and wish him the best for the future.”
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News by Reuters, additional reporting by ESM – your source for the latest retail news. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
