Asda has appointed retail industry veteran Helen Connolly as the new Chief Executive Officer of George, its fashion and home business, reinforcing the retailer’s commitment to accelerating growth across its apparel division.
Connolly joins George from New Look, where she has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2022 after previously holding the position of Chief Commercial Officer. She also led Bonmarché as CEO between 2016 and 2020, bringing with her more than three decades of leadership experience spanning fashion retail, merchandising, and commercial operations.
The appointment marks a return to George for Connolly, who spent over 15 years with the brand during earlier stages of her career. In that period, she held several senior buying and merchandising roles, including Director of Buying for Womenswear and Lingerie, playing a key role in strengthening George’s product portfolio and enhancing its value-driven positioning in the UK apparel market.
Announcing the appointment, Allan Leighton, Chairman of Asda, said
“Helen is an exceptionally experienced retailer with a strong track record of leading fashion and retail businesses. Just as importantly, she knows George well, having spent more than 15 years with the brand earlier in her career. Her combination of leadership experience, commercial expertise and understanding of our customers makes her the ideal person to lead George through its next phase of growth.”
Speaking on her appointment, Connolly said she was delighted to return to George, describing the move as a homecoming. She highlighted the brand’s long-standing focus on delivering quality, style, and affordability, and expressed her enthusiasm for working with the team to build on its strong market position and drive future growth.
Connolly succeeds Liz Evans, who stepped down after four years with Asda, where she served as Chief Commercial Officer for Non-Food and Managing Director of George.
George continues to be one of the UK’s leading fashion retailers, ranking as the country’s third-largest clothing retailer by volume and the largest childrenswear retailer. The brand currently operates through around 580 Asda stores and six standalone George outlets, with an ambitious expansion strategy that includes opening 100 standalone stores over the next five years.
The leadership transition comes at a time when UK value fashion retailers are increasingly focusing on strengthening omnichannel capabilities, expanding private-label offerings, and enhancing customer value propositions to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.
