Morrisons has appointed Dalton Philips to the role of chief executive. Philips, aged 41, will take up his new position in March 2010.
Since January 2007 Philips has been chief operating officer of Loblaw Companies, Canada’s largest food distributor and a leading provider of general merchandise, pharmacy and financial products and services.
The company has more than 1,000 stores nationwide and a turnover of £18bn.
Prior to that he was chief executive of Irish department store group Brown Thomas.
Between 1998 and 2005 he worked for Wal-Mart’s international division, holding a range of commercial positions and rising to chief operating officer in Germany.
Philips started his career as a store manager in New Zealand with Jardine Matheson and was later regional director of the company’s Spanish supermarket division.
Sir Ian Gibson, Morrisons chairman, said: “I am delighted that Dalton will be joining Morrisons as chief executive. He has a tremendous retail pedigree and a wealth of experience from senior retail positions around the world.”
