Asda lures back Blackhurst to role he left a decade ago

Asda has appointed Darren Blackhurst chief commercial officer for food, a decade after he first held the role, as the game of retail musical chairs continues at pace.

Blackhurst, who previously worked at Asda between 2006 and 2010, will take up the position at the end of July, succeeding Kris Comerford, who has stepped down after three years.

Like many in the retail sector, it is not the first time Blackhurst has returned to one of his previous employers, which also include Matalan. He most recently led the Coles Liquor division in Australia as managing director.

In February last year, he briefly rejoined Morrisons as interim chief customer and marketing officer, having previously worked there between 2015 to 2019, primarily as group commercial director.

Blackhurst had been brought in to cover for Rachel Eyre, who had joined from Sainsbury’s in 2020 and was on maternity leave.

But within three months he was off again. Blackhurst never explained the reason for his sudden exit, although media reports claimed it was due to the fact he was struggling to adjust to life back in the executive ranks; this was quite clearly wide of the mark as Blackhurst has held numerous senior roles during his career.

His return to Asda follows the appointment of Morrisons chief customer and marketing officer Rachel Eyre – the former Sainsbury’s and Barclays executive – to be Asda chief customer officer.

Eyre succeeded David Hills, who resigned from the role in March after just 18 months to join airline Jet2.