Asda appoints former Morrisons chief as CEO

The British supermarket chain Asda has appointed David Potts (formerly Morrisons) as CEO, effective immediately, to breathe new life into the chain. Current CEO Allan Leighton is stepping aside to become non-executive chairman, even though he returned to the retail group just two years ago.

“Modest growth again”

Potts spent eight years at the helm of rival chain Morrisons until 2023. During that time, he oversaw a turnaround at the supermarket chain, which was subsequently acquired by the American private-equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Prior to his time at Morrisons, Potts served as CEO of Tesco in Ireland, of its UK operations, and of its Asian division.