// Lord Stuart Rose might become the next chair at Asda, according to reports
// Rose was M&S chief between 2004-2011 and stepped down as Ocado chairman in May
// Rose is already the chair at EG Group, the petrol forecourt empire owned by new Asda owners the Issa brothers
Lord Stuart Rose is reportedly set to become the next chair at Asda as the search a chief executive for the Big 4 retailer continues.
Several reports suggest that Rose, who was Marks & Spencer boss between 2004 and 2011, is being considered for the chair role by new Asda owners the Issa brothers.
Rose is already the chair at EG Group, the Issa brothers’ petrol forecourt empire.
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Should he become chair of Asda, it would mark Rose’s return to grocery shortly after he stepped down as Ocado chairman in May.
Speculation is also rife that retail veteran Ian McLeod could be returning to Asda as its new chief executive under new owners, the Issa brothers and TDR Capital, after Roger Burnley left the post earlier this month.
McLeod had previously been part of the team that saw Asda avoid bankruptcy and become part of the Walmart empire after £6.7 billion sale in the 1990s.
He is also a former boss of Halfords and Australian grocery giant Coles.
M&S Food chief Stuart Machin and Morrisons’ chief operating officer Trevor Strain have been also linked with taking the chief executive role after Burnley.
Morrisons chief executive David Potts, Tesco’s UK boss Jason Tarry and Booker’s Andrew Yaxley were also reportedly approached for the role, but it is unlikely they would emerge as candidates.
Meanwhile, chief financial officer Rob McWilliam left Asda in April and was replaced by his deputy John Fallon.
Other recent hires for Asda include former Waitrose executive Sam Dickson as VP of own brand, and incoming chief information officer Carl Dawson.
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