Former EY man returns to Asda House to lead struggling retailer

TWENTY years on from beginning his retail career with Asda, Sean Clarke will return to Leeds – via Canada and China – to take charge of the supermarket group.

He has been named chief executive, beating the presumptive candidate Roger Burnley, who is joining Asda from Sainsbury’s in October.

It is an unexpected move by Asda’s parent company Walmart, who have decided that a swift change is needed.

But who is Sean Clarke, the man taking over from Andy Clarke (no relation) at Asda?

Mr Clarke has presided over Walmart China since 2014, having been promoted to chief executive after a stint as chief operating officer.

In China, Walmart has 400 stores and a number two market share according to the company. The Wall Street Journal said that he had overseen the slowdown of Asda’s growth in China since his appointment, with the closure of loss-making stores and a refocusing on quality. He also has experience in Canada, where he was chief financial officer.

With his new position, Mr Clarke goes full circle in the business, having launched his retail career with Asda in the UK in 1996 where he rose to become commercial finance director.

Prior to this he worked as an accountant at EY in the UK and Singapore. Mr Clarke earned an MBA from Warwick Business School and a joint honours degree in mathematics and physics from Bristol University.

His return to Asda House will be a big challenge and from July 11, when he takes over, he will have to call on all of his experience to hit the ground running and make an impact on the supermarket’s sales slump.