Former Asda director appointed to run Matalan

DARREN Blackhurst, who was last year tipped for the top job at Asda, has been appointed chief executive officer of discount fashion retailer Matalan.

His arrival at the Skelmersdale-based business follows departure of Alistair McGeorge last September.

Blackhurst started his career at Tesco in 1988 and spent 18 years with the supermarket holding various buying and commercial roles.

He moved to Asda in 2006 to become food trading Director and had been touted as a successor to former chief executive Andy Bond. But he left the business in May 2010 shortly before chief operating officer Andy Clarke was appointed as chief executive.

Alison Loveday of the Manchester law firm Berg Legal, which advised on the appointment, said: “This appointment demonstrates Matalan’s intention for exciting growth over the next few years. There is no doubt with Darren’s individual management style and global retail experience that he will enable Matalan to take this opportunity, and have enormous success.”