Tesco is aligning its fresh food and FMCG food business into a single department from 1 December.
In a letter to suppliers last week, Andrew Yaxley, commercial director of fresh and frozen food, said that after two and a half years in the role he is moving to a general management position.
“As a consequence of my move, we have decided to combine fresh food and packaged food together,” Yaxley wrote.
“And I am pleased to announce that effective from 1 December John Scouler will take over responsibility for the combined food business. John and I will spend the next few weeks ensuring that we have a smooth transition and that none of the great plans we have initiated for Christmas are lost in the business transition.”
Yaxley added that he will be undertaking a short general management programme before taking up his new role early in the new year.
A Tesco spokesman said of Yaxley’s move: “At Tesco we place great emphasis on developing our colleagues to ensure we have the best possible pipeline of general management talent for the future. Andrew’s development programme is just one example of this and it happens at every level of the business.”
Yaxley has been with Tesco for 11 years and was behind the recent launch of revamped bottom-tier brand Everyday Value. His role has been seen as vital in helping reignite shopper enthusiasm and appealing to consumers during the recession.
He joined the retailer as category director for the impulse division. After 18 months he moved to the Czech and Slovak Republics as commercial director for the Tesco business based in Prague, where he oversaw the acquisitions of Edeka and Carrefour stores.
He returned to the UK in November 2007 and became commercial director for packaged foods and beers, wines and spirits, before moving to the role of commercial director for fresh foods in August 2010.
The latest moves come on the back of a busy year of senior management changes at the UK’s largest supermarket, with chief executive Philip Clarke continuing to shuffle his pack.
And the decision to combine fresh and packaged food underlines Clarke’s sharp focus on the departments after disappointing recent trading results.
