B&M has snapped up general merchandise competitor Wilko’s chief financial officer Alex Russo for the same role at its own business.

Russo, who joined Wilko from Asda in 2018, will succeed B&M’s current finance boss Paul McDonald, who is set to retire next year.

B&M’s incoming finance chief joins the retailer after stints at businesses including Tesco and Kingfisher.

His departure from Wilko comes shortly after a board reshuffle, which saw the general merchandise retailer’s transformation director Jerome Saint-Marc appointed chief executive.

Russo will join B&M following a notice period at Wilko and handover period with outgoing finance chief McDonald, who is retiring from the business after a 10-year stint to pursue a non-executive portfolio.

B&M chair Peter Bamford said: “I am delighted that Alex Russo has agreed to join the Board of B&M. His previous roles with leading retail businesses in the UK and internationally brings a valuable level of experience to the board as our business continues to grow at a significant rate.

“Paul McDonald has done an excellent job in that role and we wish him well for the future.”

Chief executive Simon Arora added: “I am delighted to have found a successor to the CFO with the background experience and skills which Alex has from his time with retailers operating in international as well as UK markets.

“I would like to thank Paul for the contribution he has made for over a decade as B&M’s CFO both while it was in private ownership and since the flotation in 2014. The business has grown at a tremendous rate over that period and he has played a key role as part of the management team in relation to that success.”