Dairy Farm CEO Graham Allan is to step down on August 31 after five years with the Group.

His replacement will be Ian McLeod, a former head of Coles supermarkets in Australia who began his retail career at UK’s Asda. He assumes the CEO role on September 18.

Dairy Farm chairman Ben Keswick said Allan had pioneered initiatives that have focused on meeting customers’ needs and enhancing the capabilities of the group. “He has laid the foundation for further growth across the region, not least in Mainland China.”

McLeod has more than 30 years of experience in the retail sector. After working with Asda in the UK and Germany, he joined the Halfords Group in the UK in 2003 as CEO. In 2008, he took on the role of MD of Coles, where he oversaw a significant improvement of the business which outperformed the market during his tenure. Since 2015 he has been CEO of Southeastern Grocers, the fifth largest supermarket chain in the US.

“Ian brings with him extensive strategic and operational retail experience with a strong track record of driving profitable growth,” said Keswick. “We would like to welcome Ian to Dairy Farm, and to wish him every success in taking the group forward on its next stage of development,” he added.

Hong Kong-headquartered Dairy Farm operates some 6500 outlets across Asia – including supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, health and beauty stores, home furnishings stores and restaurants – employing over 180,000 people across 11 countries and territories, and had total annual sales in 2016 exceeding US$20 billion. Included in its portfolio are supermarkets and convenience stores, including Giant in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Vietnam and 7-Eleven in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore; Ikea stores in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indonesia; Guardian-branded health & beauty stores across the region, Rose Pharmacy in the Philippines and Starbucks in Hong Kong, Cambodia and Vietnam.