// The former UK boss of Aldi, Matthew Barnes could replace Morrisons’ David Potts
// Potts, a former Tesco director, publicly insists he’s there for the duration but his replacement could be “imminent”
The former UK chief executive of Aldi, Matthew Barnes is a possible candidate to replace Morrisons’ David Potts.
Potts, a former Tesco director, publicly insists he’s there for the duration but his replacement could be “imminent”, This is Money reported.
However, the length of executive contracts means it could take up to a year to install a new boss.
Since being acquired by private equity firm CD&R in 2021, Morrisons has come under pressure because its sales growth has lagged behind those of competitors.
The supermarket, which was the UK’s fourth biggest until it was leapfrogged by Aldi last year, was the only major player except Waitrose to see sales drop in the last three months.
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Just last week, Tesco executive Jason Tarry had been identified as a possible replacement for Potts.
The US private equity firm that owns Morrisons, Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), is using headhunter Egon Zehnder to find candidates for a number of senior positions at the supermarket.
That includes finding a replacement for chief operating officer Trevor Strain, who left last year after 13 years at the business.
Sources said a number of candidates have also been singled out as potential chief executives, including some who have already been approached by the headhunters.
