Asda’s property boss Steve Masters is leaving the grocer following an overhaul of its property and retail development.

Retail development director Masters has departed the grocer, along with director of sustainable development Bob Simpson, The Times has reported.

The grocer has restructured its property along regional lines rather than having a separate team for each store format.

Asda has struggled to find sites in recent years because of its lack of flexibility in the size of its stores. For instance, it will not meet its target of opening 150 Asda Living non-food stores over the next three years.

Masters is the grocer’s sixth executive level departure in the past nine months. Its chief operating officer Simon King, now boss at Wickes, left Asda after less than six months in the job and managing director of its non-food standalone, Roger McLaughlin, left to become the boss of Toys R Us in the UK.

Mike Logue, commercial director in non-food, also left during the period to help lead Mothercare’s UK revival while business development director, Doug Gurr, is now at online retailer Amazon.

Last week, new business director Arnu Misra, a protégé of former boss of the grocer Allen Leighton, exited the business.

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