Barney Burgess, a former director at Tesco, has been appointed as the interim vice president of online at Asda, effective immediately. This move comes as Asda prepares for the arrival of David Devany next year, who will assume the role permanently.
Burgess, who will now lead Asda.com, George.com, and online operations teams, brings with him a wealth of experience from his extensive career spanning over 25 years in the retail, consumer, and financial services sectors both in the UK and internationally. His role will see him reporting directly to Asda’s chief digital officer, Matt Kelleher.
During his tenure at Tesco, Burgess was instrumental in managing the grocery home shopping business. It was under his leadership that Tesco introduced its click-and-collect service for grocery orders across the UK, marking a significant step forward in online shopping convenience.
In addition to his impressive retail experience, Burgess has also worked as a consultant at McKinsey, where he offered strategic advice to online grocery businesses. His expertise in operational strategies is expected to be a valuable asset to Asda as it seeks to strengthen its online presence ahead of David Devany’s arrival.
David Devany, who is currently serving as the group chief marketing, customer, and digital officer at Iceland, is set to join Asda next year. His appointment is highly anticipated as he brings with him significant experience in e-commerce and digital marketing.
This change in leadership comes amid significant shifts within the sector. Recently, Morrisons appointed Andrew Staniland, a former executive at Iceland, as its new group trading director. Initially set to join Asda, Staniland’s move to Morrisons highlights the competitive nature of talent acquisition in the industry.
These strategic appointments highlight Asda’s commitment to bolstering its online retail capabilities, indicating a forward-thinking approach in navigating the evolving digital marketplace.
