Tesco to appoint Booker CEO Charles Wilson to head up UK & Ireland business after merger
Supermarket giant Tesco has said that Booker chief executive Charles Wilson will be appointed as chief executive of Tesco’s retail and wholesale operations in the UK and Republic of Ireland once its merger with Booker Group is completed next month.
Meanwhile, Matt Davies will continue as Tesco chief executive of the UK and Republic of Ireland until that time when he will then step down. After supporting a handover, will leave the group at the end of April.
Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis said: “I am delighted Charles will be joining the Tesco board and executive committee. He brings substantial commercial and retail experience and has an exceptional track record of increasing performance and driving growth in customer-focused businesses. Charles is ideally suited to lead the UK & ROI business for the combined group in the next phase of our turnaround.
“I would also like to thank Matt for his outstanding contribution to Tesco over the last three years. His values-based leadership and invaluable support have been instrumental to the significant progress we have made in the transformation of the UK & ROI business. I wish him well for the future.”
Wilson was first appointed to the board of Booker Group in June 2007. Having started his career in 1986 with Procter & Gamble, he then became a consultant with OC&C Strategy Consultants and a director of Abberton Associates. In 1998 he became an executive director of Booker Group which merged with Iceland in 2000. In 2001 he became an executive director of Arcadia Group plc and in 2004 he became an executive director of Marks and Spencer. In 2005 he was appointed as chief executive of Booker.
Tesco has also reported that since its third quarter and Christmas trading update released on 11 January 2018, its trading performance has been in line with management’s expectations and that it expects to deliver at least £1.575 billion in group operating profit before exceptional items for the year ending 24 February 2018.
