Asda has appointed Jon Downes as vice president for ambient, in the latest move to strengthen its commercial leadership team.

Downes will join the supermarket in August and report to chief commercial officer Darren Blackhurst.

He joins from M&S, where he has served as food commercial operations director since 2024. He has also held senior roles at Tesco and Morrisons.

In his new role, Downes will lead Asda’s ambient category, with responsibility for commercial performance, supplier relationships and value delivery across the division.

Blackhurst said: “Jon brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record of delivering commercial outcomes that create value for customers, colleagues and suppliers alike.

“I’m looking forward to working with him as we continue to strengthen our commercial proposition.”

The appointment comes as Asda continues to reshape parts of its senior team and sharpen its customer offer amid intense competition across UK grocery.

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