MORRISONS has hired Andrew Staniland, a seasoned grocery executive, who was set to join Asda as vice president next year.
Instead, Staniland will start at Morrisons in early February as group trading director and sit on the executive committee, reported the Telegraph.
Morrisons CEO Rami Baitieh praised Staniland as an "exceptional talent" with a strong track record in the grocery industry, having held senior roles at Iceland Foods, Aldi, Waitrose, and a prior stint at Morrisons.
This unexpected move is a setback for Asda, where Staniland was chosen to lead its fresh and frozen food division starting in March. His arrival was intended to fill a gap left by the departure of commercial director Paul Gillow and was part of a larger strategy to revitalise the chain, which has faced declining sales and strong competition from Aldi and Lidl.
Earlier this year, Asda’s chairman, Lord Rose, expressed concerns about the supermarket's struggles, taking on more responsibilities himself after former CEO Mohin Issa stepped down in September.
Asda has been working to boost its leadership team in recent months, hiring former Morrisons supply chain director Lauren Lepley and M&S asset protection director Mark Henry.
As it tries to recover market share, Asda recently announced an additional £13 million investment in staff hours to improve customer service. However, it has faced backlash over recent layoffs affecting head office and IT staff.
According to reports, Asda’s market share has fallen from 14.8pc to 12.6pc since its takeover by the billionaire Issa brothers and private equity giant TDR Capital.
The firm declined to comment on Staniland’s decision to join Morrisons.
