Ken joins Sainsbury’s from Tesco PLC where he has worked for the last 14 years. He was recently appointed chief executive for Tesco Japan having previously led the acquisition of Admin Stores and its integration into the Tesco chain. Before joining Tesco, Ken worked for Sears plc for four years.

Justin King, chief executive said: "I’m delighted that Ken will be joining Sainsbury’s. His excellent retail experience and understanding of our market will be a great asset to Sainsbury’s and the company’s new management team."

Adam Fowle, the company’s current retail director has decided that he would like to pursue his career in the leisure industry where he spent 17 years prior to joining Sainsbury’s. He has agreed to stay to oversee Christmas trading and will leave at the end of the year.

Justin King said: "Adam has made a significant contribution to Sainsbury’s during a very challenging time for the company. I would like to thank him for his commitment and hard work and wish him every success for the future."

Ken McMeikan said: "I am very excited to be joining Sainsbury’s at a time of great potential for the company and look forward to being able to play a key role in restoring its strong position in the UK grocery market."