Barry Williams, the former chief customer officer at Asda has been hired by Morrisons to become its trading director for ambient.
Williams left Asda earlier this year, after 8 years at the Yorkshire-based retailer. He will replace Andy Pleasance at Morrisons in February 2017 and will take responsibility for the retailer’s grocery, health and beauty, beers, wines and spirits, baby goods and household offers.
“Barry brings a wealth of trading experience and relationships with food suppliers as well as a strong understanding of our customers,” said group commercial director Darren Blackhurst.
Williams had been involved in a war of words with his new employer, while at Asda. In 2014, the Asda chief executive criticised Morrisons for its price cutting “gimmicks”, then Williams compared the supermarket’s voucher offers as the equivalent of “quantitative easing” calling them “desperate measures.”
