Asda brings in Lidl veteran Matt Heslop to accelerate convenience division

Asda has announced the appointment of Matt Heslop, who will lead the supermarket’s stores and depots operation, including the 470 convenience stores in its newly-established Asda Express division.

Heslop joins Asda from Lidl where he is currently the chief operating officer. He brings a wealth of retail operations experience, having spent over 20-years with the discounter in various senior operational roles.

Asda said his experience in the convenience sector will be particularly important in helping accelerate Asda Express’ position in the fast-growing £40 billion convenience market.

In addition, Matt Kelleher, whose recruitment as chief digital officer was announced in January, will join the business in July to oversee Asda’s ecommerce and data functions. He will also lead the technology function once the IT separation from Walmart completes later this year.

Heslop joins from Morrisons, where he was previously chief information officer.

Asda has also announced that it has been mutually decided that Simon Gregg, senior vice president ecommerce and retail south, will leave the business in July.

“I’m delighted to announce Matt Heslop’s appointment to lead a critical part of our operation and drive the next stage of our growth journey,” Mohsin Issa, Asda’s Co-owner, said.

“He is an experienced operator with a proven track record in managing substantial retail operations in a fast-growing company. Along with Matt Kelleher, who assumes the role of chief digital officer in July, these appointments further strengthen the leadership team as we continue to deliver against our strategy.

“I would also like to thank Simon Gregg for his contributions to the business. He has been an important part of the leadership team, and we wish him well in the future.”