Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis has announced a reshuffle of Tesco's executive committee, which will see the former Unilever man taking control of the business's core UK market.
As part of the reshuffle, Lewis will take the role of corporate CEO and UK CEO, Benny Higgins will take responsibility for group strategy, Jason Tarry has been appointed head of UK and group commercial, Robin Terrell becomes head of customer, and Jill Easterbrook will lead the group's business transformation programme.
Commenting on the reshuffle, Bernstein Research said that the appointment of Lewis as UK CEO "is sensible, as most of Tesco’s value depends on them turning around the UK. Dave Lewis’s skills (branding, consumer insight, being external) are most needed in the UK.
"Having two people in charge of effectively the same business creates paralysis and conflict."
Also commenting, Clive Black of Shore Capital said, "That Mr Lewis is 'Head of UK' as a temporary appointment is also good news to our minds, as Tesco is a big group that needs accountability and responsibility drilled into again. It is not lost on us our calls five or six years ago for Tesco to appoint a UK managing director when the group was under Sir Terry Leahy, as the wider pressures drew attention away from the core.
"So, the most enduring feature of the reorganisation is not that Dave Lewis is taking the helm of Tesco UK over the fact that it is a temporary position, and what looks like an external appointment will be brought in in due course."
© 2014 – Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones
