Tesco boss heads to Woolworths

Woolworths said yesterday Mr Tjeerd Jegen, who is chief executive of Tesco Malaysia, will join the company by the end of this calendar year.

He started his retailing career as a management trainee with Royal Ahold in his native Holland and has held store operations, commercial, marketing and general management roles with three leading international retailers in seven countries.

He has also held senior management roles for Royal Ahold in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Mr Jegen joined the German retailer Metro in 2007 and then moved to Tesco in 2009 as chief operating officer for its Thailand business.

He was appointed chief executive in Malaysia early last year where he successfully increased the brand's hypermarket offer and presence.

Woolworths deputy chief executive Grant O'Brien said: "Tjeerd is a highly regarded and extremely experienced grocery retailer and we are delighted to welcome him to Woolworths and ... his family to Australia.

"He is a thoughtful, engaging and motivated individual with a great passion for the business of selling and a very strong customer focus. I am confident he will be a dynamic addition to our supermarket team."

Mr O'Brien will take over at Woolworths in October upon the retirement of current boss Michael Luscombe.