The chief operating officer of Asda, Andy Clarke, has been appointed as chief executive and president of the supermarket giant.
His promotion follows last month's announcement by Andy Bond, that he would step up to part-time chairman of Asda's executive board.
Clarke, first joined Asda in 1992, he left in 2001 to take up succesive poistions with Iceland and Matalan and returned in 2005, he has been its chief operating officer since 2007.
The US supermarket giant Walmart, which owns Asda, said Mr Clarke's leadership potential had long been identified.