Tim Mason reunites with Leahy at digital loyalty firm

Former Tesco marketing boss and deputy chief executive Tim Mason has been reunited with his old boss, Sir Terry Leahy, to spearhead digital loyalty specialist Eagle Eye Solutions.
The appointment is a coup for company, whose clients include Asda, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Greggs, Mitchells & Butlers and Pizza Express.
Mason was one of the leading advocates of Tesco Clubcard and was at the forefront of the ten-year strategy which turned Tesco into the world’s third-biggest retailer with profits of more than £2bn.
His reward was being handed the top US job at Tesco’s Fresh & Easy chain in 1997, although this proved something of a poisened chalice. Having failed to make significant headway, Tesco pulled out of the market in 2012 following a review by then CEO Philip Clarke.
In 2013 Mason was appointed chairman of Bonmarché Holdings, but left last year.
However, his pedigree in the loyalty market has never been in doubt. He joined Tesco in 1982 and took over as marketing operations director in 1993. In addition to this role, he was also chairman of Tesco.com, and held non-executive directorships at Tesco Personal Finance and GCap Media.
At Eagle Eye, Mason will become chairman, succeeding Bob Willett, who will step down to concentrate on his other investments but will remain on the board until March to provide a smooth handover.
Founded in 2003 with backing from Leahy, who remains a non-exec director, Eagle Eye provides digital consumer engagement solutions for the grocery, retail, and hospitality industries in the UK and internationally. It has strategic partnerships with Toshiba, K3 retail, Zonal, and Comtrex. It has also worked with Tesco and its convenience store chain, OneStop.

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