Asda has named Barney Burgess, former Tesco director, as interim vice president of online operations.
- Burgess will immediately oversee Asda.com, George.com, and online teams, reporting to Matt Kelleher.
- He brings over 25 years of diverse experience in retail, consumer, and financial services.
- Burgess previously led Tesco’s grocery home shopping, launching click-and-collect.
- David Devany will permanently assume the Asda position next year, joining from Iceland.
Asda has appointed Barney Burgess, a former director at Tesco, as its interim Vice President of Online. This move is geared towards ensuring a seamless transition in leadership until David Devany takes over the role the following year. Burgess will immediately begin managing Asda.com, George.com, and the firm’s broader online operations teams, while reporting directly to Chief Digital Officer Matt Kelleher.
Burgess has a rich background spanning over 25 years across retail, consumer, and financial services sectors, both within the UK and on an international scale. His expertise is expected to lend significant value to Asda’s online initiatives. His tenure at Tesco saw him at the helm of the grocery home shopping division, during which Tesco introduced the click-and-collect service for UK grocery orders, marking a notable development in the industry.
Adding to his impressive resume, Burgess has also consulted for McKinsey, where he provided strategic guidance to online grocery businesses looking to enhance their operational effectiveness.
Looking ahead, David Devany is set to join Asda as the permanent Vice President of Ecommerce next year. He is currently affiliated with Iceland, where he has been the Group Chief Marketing, Customer, and Digital Officer for the past five years. His impending transition is part of Asda’s strategic efforts to bolster its digital and ecommerce strengths.
Meanwhile, there has been notable movement in the supermarket executive landscape. Morrisons has recently hired former Iceland executive Andrew Staniland as their new Group Trading Director. This decision seems to have been made against earlier expectations that Staniland would replace Asda veteran Paul Gillow as Commercial Director, amid various senior-level changes.
Asda’s strategic appointments aim to strengthen its online operations ahead of a new leadership phase.
