Tony Page, Asda's highly-regarded non-food director, is to join Woolworths later this summer in the newly created senior role of managing director, commercial and marketing.
The hiring is a coup for Woolworths, which is battling to improve performance in the wake of supermarket incursions into its traditional retail territory, and instability last year when it became a takeover target of private equity firm Apax.
Page's appointment will enable group chief executive Trevor Bish-Jones to devote more time to strategy and Woolworths' other businesses, supplier EUK and publisher 2 Entertain.
Bish-Jones said Page would bring invaluable non-food expertise gained at Wal-Mart-owned Asda. He said: 'I expect Tony to bring new ideas and continue to develop the customer offer.'
Page's loss will be keenly felt by Asda, which Wal-Mart revealed this week had suffered a dip in first-quarter profits and like-for-like sales. He was one of the grocer's rising stars and most recently spearheaded the retailer's£30 million George homewares launch.
The departure was mirrored at Sainsbury's, which has lost convenience store boss Jim McCarthy. He has been named chief executive of value specialist Poundland, which is widely thought to be preparing for a sale or float.
McCarthy made his name by building up c-store group T&S Stores, which he sold to Tesco three years ago. He was a member of Sainsbury's operating, retail and investment boards and is understood to have taken an equity stake in Poundland.
Poundland chairman Colin Smith said: 'Jim brings vast experience of the retail sector, as well as a proven track record in achieving growth.'
The retailer has doubled store numbers to 150 in the past four years and generates annual sales of about£280 million. Smith said McCarthy's priorities will include continued expansion and improving Poundland's proposition. He added that private equity backer Advent was not planning an imminent exit.
Both Page and McCarthy were placed in their new roles by headhunter Heidrick & Struggles.
Retail's revolving doors have spun all week with more top retail execs coming and going.
- Former Kingfisher chief exec Sir Geoff Mulcahy is to become chairman at the BRC, replacing House of Fraser chairman Michael Wemms.
- Next chairman David Jones retired after 20 years, having rescued the chain from collapse in the 1990s.
- Wilkinson managing director Gordon Brown plans to retire as soon as a replacement is found. Headhunter Whitehead Mann is searching for a replacement.
- The Pier founder and managing director Alison Richards has left, following its US$15 million (£7.9 million) buy-out by Danish tycoon Jakup Jacobsen last month. Richards has no immediate plans, but will remain a non-executive director of Beales and a trustee of Unicef, for which The Pier raised more than£1 million during her tenure.
- Wickes managing director Richard Bird is standing down. Bird contested rumours he is being ousted by parent company Travis Perkins because of Wickes' poor performance and said: 'I indicated at the time of the acquisition that I wished to stand down in early 2007.'
- Hamleys group buying and merchandising director Sue Porritt departed suddenly last week from the Baugur-owned toy store, following the sale of its Bear Factory division to Build-a-Bear.
- Former Selfridges chief executive Peter Williams was named chief executive at Alpha Airports.
- Jessops chief executive Derek Hine has retired this week after 36 years in retail. Former Jessops chief operating officer Chris Langley took the helm as chief executive on Wednesday.
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