Roger Burnley will return to Asda as CEO Andy Clark’s right hand man.
Roger, who previously worked at Sainsbury’s as a retail and operations director, has left his job but will be unable to join Asda until next year, due to competition between the two retailers.
The move has been interpreted as a sign that Roger will take over Andy’s role as Leeds-based Asda’s CEO in the future.
Andy was appointed as COO at Asda in 2007, three years before he took on the chief executive’s role. He has no plans to move on from his position yet.
Andy has been looking for a COO since January, after making changes to the executive board. Roger has previously worked alongside Andy at both Asda and Matalan before joining Sainsbury’s, where he was responsible for the performance of 160,000 staff across superstores, convenience stores and logistics.
Andy commented: “We couldn’t have got anybody with a better retail pedigree than Roger, particularly because he is a former colleague. These are times of unprecedented turbulence for our industry. Whilst we are not immune from the effects of this, we are fortunate to be part of a healthy, sustainable business with a clear strategy for success. Adding Roger to Asda’s executive team further strengthens the board which, I believe, is now one of the most experienced and capable in the industry. I am looking forward to working with him again, this time as my deputy.”
