DIY chain Wickes has appointed former Asda chief operating officer Simon King as its managing director.

Wickes staff are being told today.

King will replace Jeremy Bird, who has been promoted to the new role of divisional chairman for the consumer division of parent Travis Perkins, as revealed by Retail Week in June.

King left Asda in June, after just six months at the grocer.

Before that he was based in Saudi Arabia where he was chief executive of supermarket operator Panda Retail, a subsidiary of The Savola Group.

Prior to that he was chief executive of Tesco Kipa in Turkey.