Lidl GB’s chief customer officer Jassine Ouali is exiting the UK business to take up the same position at Lidl France, after just 18 months in the company.

Ouali, who served as chief operating officer at the UK discounter for 13 months before being appointed CCO, announced his departure on LinkedIn, describing the experience as the “most fulfilling” of his career.

He originally joined the UK arm from Lidl Germany, where he held the COO role for almost two years.

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

Reflecting on his tenure, Ouali wrote: “After one and a half incredibly intense, rewarding, and transformative years as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Customer Officer, I’m now moving on to a new challenge: taking on the role of Chief Customer Officer at Lidl France.

These past 18 months have been the most demanding of my career but also the most fulfilling. I’ve grown as a leader and as a person. And more importantly: we have achieved exceptional results together, in record time.”

He went on to thank his colleagues and Lidl GB CEO Ryan McDonnell, calling him “one of the strongest leaders I’ve ever worked with.”

No successor has yet been named, and the supermarket chain has not issued an official comment.