Asda shops at Tesco for new corporate policy boss

It has snapped up Tesco regional corporate affairs manager Julian Walker-Palin, who will join Asda on 30 August in the newly created role of corporate policy manager.

Walker-Palin will report into head of corporate affairs Mary Meagan. The new role is understood to span public policy across all the businesses in Asda Walmart UK and will include political lobbying.

The hire comes just weeks after Asda restructured its comms department and appointed Paul Kelly as director of corporate affairs, responsible for all corp­orate PR and CSR issues (PRWeek, 11 May).

Walker-Palin handed in his notice at Tesco this week. At present he is in charge of the convenience stores in the UK and the new regional Chippenham office, which covers Wales, the Midlands and the South West.

He is based in Cheshunt and reports to public policy director Adam Jackson. He has worked at Tesco for the past nine years and trained as a solicitor before he joined the supermarket.