Bond, Andy – Plumber’s son became boss of supermarket giant

Andy Bond (b1965)

THE son of a plumber and a nurse mother, Andrew James Bond grew up in Grantham, and left the King’s School with four A Levels.

He began his career as a chartered engineer at a Manchester valve manufacturer but gave it up after five years, disillusioned by the industry’s decline and limited career opportunities.

Instead, he went to Cranfield to do an MBA, meeting his wife Susan, and after coming top in his course, he joined Asda’s marketing department under Archie Norman, in 1994.

He became corporate marketing director, then in 1999, he became European own-label director. In November 2000, he headed the George clothing brand (worth about £1bn a year on its own in the UK, and based near Lutterworth), working with designer Kate Bostock, after the potentially-damaging departure of George Davies.

He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of ASDA in September 2004, then CEO in March 2005, resigning this position in April 2010.

He joined clothing retailer Republic as chairman the following year, but left in 2013 as it appointed restructurer KPMG to help it shed some of its 121 stores.

He is keen on personal fitness.