Asda has restructured its leadership team following the departure of chief commercial officer and managing director of its George clothing business Liz Evans.
Evans is set to leave the business after four and a half years at the end of June.
Asda is using the opportunity to “reshape responsibilities” around its executive table, and will split Evans’ responsibilities among its existing leadership team, it said.
Chief supply chain officer David Lepley, will take on the new expanded role of chief operations officer, overseeing both retail and his existing supply chain remit.
Meanwhile, chief customer officer Rachel Eyre will also have her role expanded, as chief customer and digital officer, giving her oversight of Asda’s entire digital and Online business, including George.com, Asda Money and mobile.
Asda has appointed a new permanent CEO for its George business, who will be “announced in due course”.
Until then, the George clothing team will report into chief people officer James Goodman and chief commercial officer Darren Blackhurst.
’An absolute privilege’
“Liz has been a fabulous steward during her time with us,” said Asda executive chairman Allan Leighton.
“Firstly, leading the George business through a period of continued growth and then taking on the leadership of our retail teams. Leading both, she has made a lasting impact – with our colleagues and the business more widely – and set in place the foundation for success moving forwards. I am immensely grateful for her leadership and wish her all the very best for the future.”
Evans joined Asda in 2022 and has played a key recent role in the expansion of its standalone George concept stores.
She was previously CEO of Fatface and has also spent time with M&S in its international business and womenswear.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to be part of this journey,” Evans said. “As I step away from my role, I’ll continue to be the biggest supporter of Asda and George and I’m really confident the business will keep building on the positive momentum we’ve created.
“I also want to say a huge thank you to our colleagues in store, who bring the Asda difference to life for customers every single day, and to the teams across George and general merchandise - it’s been a pleasure to work so closely with you over the years.”
It follows the publication of Asda’s annual results last week, which showed the supermarket’s losses surged to nearly £1bn as a result of its price cuts and fallout from its Project Future IT decoupling from Walmart.
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