Morrison’s gets its man with hire of ex-Wal Mart executive
WM MORRISON has appointed Dalton Philips, a former Wal-Mart executive, as its new chief executive, ending months of speculation over who would succeed Marc Bolland.
Philips is chief operating officer of Loblaw, Canada’s largest grocer with 1,000 supermarkets nationwide and a turnover of £18bn. He previously ran the Irish department store group Brown Thomas.
The 41-year-old Canadian will take the reins at the Yorkshire-based retailer in March, allowing Bolland to take up his new job as chief executive of Marks & Spencer at a similar date.
Bolland is credited for playing a key role in turning around Morrison’s, Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket chain, which trumped its bigger rivals over Christmas.
Philips worked for Wal-Mart’s international division between 1998 and 2005, including a stint as chief operating officer in Germany.
He started his career as a store manager in New Zealand with Jardine Matheson.
Sir Ian Gibson, chairman of Morrison’s, lauded Philips’ “tremendous retail pedigree and a wealth of experience from senior retail positions around the world”.