Former Co-op food chief executive and Matalan CEO Jo Whitfield is returning to Asda’s board as a non-executive director.

Whitfield previously spent eight years with the supermarket giant and its clothing business George from 2008, holding a number of senior leadership positions in operations, ecommerce, commercial, general merchandise, and Asda Money & Mobile.

After this, she joined Co-op as chief executive for food for five years from 2017, and until last year, Whitfield was the CEO at Matalan, leading a business turnaround strategy and a refocus on value.

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Due to her experience in the convenience market from her time leading Co-op’s food business, it is understood that Whitfield will have a particular focus on supporting the growth of Asda Express.

Asda executive chairman Allan Leighton said: “Jo is one of the UK’s most experienced retail leaders and has a deep knowledge of the food retail, convenience and fashion markets.

“She also understands Asda’s DNA and the role this business plays in delivering value for hard-working families. We are delighted to welcome her back to Asda.”

Whitfield added: “Asda is one of the biggest names in retail and plays an important role in the daily lives of millions of customers and communities throughout the UK. It is a business that I have a strong affinity with and I look forward to working with Allan and the rest of the leadership team to help Asda get back on track.”

It follows a series of leadership changes at the grocer over the last month as Morrisons executive group operations director David Lepley joined as chief supply chain officer, while Liz Evans, who currently leads the George clothing brand, took up the position of chief commercial officer for non-food and retail.