Asda insists top exits 'won't put customer data at risk'

Asda has repudiated claims that it is putting the security of its customer data in jeopardy, after the retailer has made three key data protection and security chiefs redundant as part of a major cull of head office staff.

It is understood CISO Simon Langley, chief data protection officer Amy Travis, and head of security operations Lianne Potter have all been shown the door.

In an official statement, Asda insisted: “Each of these roles is now held by experienced colleagues and the changes announced last week will provide more clear roles and responsibilities as well as direct reporting lines for both our head office teams and our stores.

“We have a dedicated function who work hard to ensure that our internal systems and data that we hold remain secure in the face of cyber-security challenges faced by all businesses.”

However, one senior member of the technology team told the Grocer that “Asda will get a massive data breach and we all know it”.

The supermarket giant holds data on more than 6 million members of its Asda Rewards loyalty scheme, a number that grew by over a million in the six months to April 2024. Asda says scheme members account for half of the firm’s £21.9bn annual revenues.

Asda chief digital officer Matt Kelleher – who joined in January from Morrisons – insists the security team remains “very capable” and would now be led by new security chief Mike Amos, who has been promoted from the supermarket’s enterprise architecture team.

Asda interim boss Stuart Rose last week announced major jobs cuts and a restructure affecting thousands of head office staff, which will see management office roles slashed by 475, with remaining staff ordered to return to the office at least three days a week.

According to the Grocer, Kelleher told technology staff at a recent meeting: “It was very important to us to be able to move forward quickly, given our priorities; the need to regain our competitiveness; and the rest of teams around the business moving to new ways of working. And that’s the decision we made and that’s why we did what we did.”