Associated British Foods (ABF) has announced two senior leadership appointments, confirming Joana Edwards as group chief financial officer while formally appointing Eoin Tonge as chief executive of Primark.
Edwards takes on the CFO role with immediate effect after serving as ABF’s interim finance director since March 2025. She will also join the ABF board as an executive director.
The appointment formalises Edwards’ leadership of the group’s finance function following a year in the interim role. She previously served as ABF’s group financial controller after joining the business in 2020.
Edwards brings more than three decades of international finance experience across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Her career has focused heavily on FMCG and consumer-facing industries, including retail.
Before joining ABF, she held several senior roles at L’Oréal, most recently as group financial controller, alongside a number of regional and business unit finance director positions.
ABF chief executive George Weston said Edwards had already demonstrated a strong understanding of the group during her interim tenure.
“Joana is a highly experienced financial leader who over the past twelve months has demonstrated a clear understanding of ABF’s business and operating model, rigour in the execution of her role and a passion for building high performing teams,” he said.
“She will continue to play a key role in delivering the group’s strategic priorities as we drive long-term, sustainable growth.”
Edwards said she would focus on disciplined capital allocation and supporting investment in areas of long-term strategic value.
“During my time at ABF I have seen first-hand the strength of our portfolio, the resilience of our model and the depth of talent across the organisation,” she said.
“I will focus on disciplined capital allocation, cost management and cash generation, while ensuring we invest behind the areas of greatest strategic potential.”
Primark leadership reshuffle
Alongside Edwards’ appointment, ABF has confirmed Eoin Tonge as chief executive of Primark with immediate effect after he spent the past year serving in the role on an interim basis.
Tonge joined the ABF board in February 2023 and was appointed group finance director two months later. Prior to that he served as chief financial officer and chief strategy officer at Marks & Spencer.
He has also held senior leadership roles at Greencore, including chief financial officer, managing director of its grocery division and chief strategy officer.
During his interim tenure leading Primark, Tonge has begun implementing a strategy designed to strengthen the retailer’s proposition. This includes improving the product offer, sharpening value perception and investing further in digital and marketing capabilities.
Weston said the appointment follows a comprehensive search process.
“Over the past year he has demonstrated the leadership, judgement and consumer insight needed to enable Primark to capture the significant opportunities ahead,” he said.
“The changes he is implementing are at an early stage but are already having a tangible benefit in a challenging environment.”
Tonge will remain a director on the board of Associated British Foods.
New chief commercial officer role
ABF also announced the creation of a new chief commercial officer role at Primark as part of a broader leadership restructure.
Filip Ekvall has been appointed to the position and will take up the role on 1 September 2026, reporting directly to Tonge.
The newly created role will bring together Primark’s product, retail, digital and customer functions in an effort to further strengthen its consumer proposition across markets.
Ekvall brings almost two decades of experience in international clothing retail, most notably at H&M Group, where he held leadership roles across Europe, South Korea and the UK.
He most recently served as the group’s global director of sales with responsibility for around 4,000 stores.
Since January 2025, he has been chief executive of international outdoor retailer BRAV.
Tonge said Ekvall’s experience would help drive the next phase of Primark’s growth.
“I’m honoured to lead such a fantastic retailer into its next chapter of growth,” he said.
“My priorities are to strengthen Primark’s core customer proposition of disruptive value leadership, enhance our digital engagement, pursue international growth and drive greater operational effectiveness and efficiency.
“I am delighted to welcome Filip to the team, whose commercial experience will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our proposition.”
ABF chairman Michael McLintock added that the strengthened leadership team would help drive improved operational performance as Primark continues its international expansion.
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