Andy Higginson’s appointment as chairman of Morrisons makes him the first of Tesco’s golden generation of leaders to take up cudgels at one of his alma mater’s direct competitors.

Andy Higginson’s appointment as chairman of Morrisons makes him the first of Tesco’s golden generation of leaders to take up cudgels at one of his alma mater’s direct competitors.

Higginson is conspicuous as one of the few among his Tesco contemporaries not to have had his name dragged through the mud as the top retailer struggles to adapt to changed market conditions.

That is at least in part because he is pretty good at dealing with people, a skill that will in itself be useful when he takes up his role at a Morrisons where morale has inevitably been sapped by the pounding it has taken on a ferociously fought grocery battlefield.

To a personable style add the years of experience at Tesco, where on top of his finance brief he took on extra responsibilities ranging from strategy to retailing services, and his appointment could well turn out to be a coup for Morrisons.

Retail industry sources expect him to apply his highly commercial approach to finance to leverage Morrisons’ store estate. Morrisons is considering the disposal of assets although it said at the time of its results in March it would retain an 80% freehold portfolio. Morrisons finance boss Trevor Strain, an old Tesco colleague of Higginson, is leading a property review and Higginson’s experience will bring additional insight and weight to that.

They also observed that he would bring to Morrisons greater experience of trading at a nationwide level. Despite its status among the big four and its pushes into the online and convenience markets, its main store estate is still weighted to the north so Higginson’s wider view should be a benefit.

Morrisons is in a tough situation, but not yet so parlous as some of those in which Higginson has made his mark.

His career includes saving famous name Laura Ashley when the banks withdrew support. “It really was life or death,” he recalled in an interview with Retail Week.

Having stared at the abyss then, Higginson will bring a sense of perspective and experience that should help ensure Morrisons doesn’t totter over the edge.

In the short term though there is one question that will be front of mind for investors, rival retailers and Morrisons’ staffers: to what extent will Higginson back his chief executive Dalton Philips and his strategy?