Source: The Australian

Story By: Blair Speedy

WOOLWORTHS has poached an executive from British giant Tesco to run its supermarket division, following the resignation of Greg Foran.

Tjeerd Jegen, currently chief executive at Tesco Malaysia, would take up his new role at Woolworths before the end of the year, a company spokesman said.

The 40-year-old Dutchman began his career as a management trainee with supermarket group Royal Ahold in The Netherlands, rising to vice-president of merchandising for central Europe.

Mr Jegen has also worked for German retailer Metro and was chief operating officer of Tesco Thailand before taking up his present role last year.

Incoming Woolworths chief executive Grant O'Brien, who is presently deputy chief executive, said Mr Jegen was a "highly regarded and extremely experienced grocery retailer".

"While an external appointment might be viewed as an unusual one for Woolworths, Tjeerd is an exceptional retailer capable of adding significant value," he said.

Woolworths has long prided itself on bringing management talent up from within the company, with all chief executive appointments for the past 87 years being internal candidates, including Mr O'Brien.

It was the announcement in April that he would be taking over from Michael Luscombe in October that precipitated the resignation of Mr Foran, who had been widely considered the leading candidate for the job and had counted Mr O'Brien among his staff.

Mr Foran, who assisted in the recruitment process for his replacement, will not wait for Mr Jegen to take up his new role before leaving the company.

To read the full story, follow this link: www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/woolies-poaches-tesco-trump-card-for-supermarkets-division/story-fn91v9q3-1226117014444