Name: Angela Spindler
Was: Executive managing director of George at Asda
Now: CEO of The Original Factory Shop
Years in grocery: 24

Career background: Angela Spindler started her career as a graduate trainee with Cadbury Schweppes in 1983, before moving on to Pedigree Petfoods, where she held numerous roles in sales, marketing and HR. In 1997, she joined Asda as business unit director for chilled foods. She worked there for 10 years in senior roles such as trading and marketing director, deputy trading director and food trading director, and became managing director of George in November 2005. However, she left in August 2007 to take up the managing director role at Debenhams.

What is she doing now? Spindler left Debenhams in January 2009 to become chief executive officer of discount chain The Original Factory Shop - an opportunity she described at the time as “simply too good to miss!”.

Biggest achievement in grocery? Spindler was tipped to become Asda’s CEO following Tony DeNunzio’s departure in 2005, but Andy Bond took the top job and later that year Spindler moved into his former role as MD of George. During her time in charge at George she was instrumental in developing ‘Must Have’ clothing, which was fronted by Coleen McLoughlin (now Rooney). The range of ‘on trend’ fashions proved to be the most successful in George’s 16-year history, boosting clothing sales by 50% year-on-year.

What does the future hold? The Original Factory Shop has ambitious expansion plans to hit 500 stores by 2020 and in November last year doubled the size of its Burnley headquarters to 250,000 sq ft to allow it to service more stores. However, speculation persists that its private equity owner Duke Street Capital is looking to sell the business.

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