Tesco has revealed that Booker boss Charles Wilson will take the reins of its core UK and Ireland business following completion of the proposed £3.7bn acquisition.

The grocer’s current UK boss Matt Davies will leave Britain’s biggest retailer at the end of April after a handover process.

Davies has spent three years with the supermarket giant and has played a key role in improving customer service in its stores and restoring trust within the brand, which was ravaged by an accounting scandal.

Tesco boss Dave Lewis said that Wilson, who has been Booker chief executive since 2005, would bring “substantial commercial and retail experience and has an exceptional track record of increasing performance and driving growth in customer-focused businesses”.

Tesco is poised to complete its takeover of the wholesale titan, which also owns convenience store chains Budgens, Londis and Premier, next month.

Wilson will be charged with integrating the two businesses in the UK and establishing further opportunities to create synergies and grow sales.

Lewis added: “Charles is ideally suited to lead the UK & ROI business for the combined group in the next phase of our turnaround.

“I would also like to thank Matt for his outstanding contribution to Tesco over the last three years. His values-based leadership and invaluable support have been instrumental to the significant progress we have made in the transformation of the UK & ROI business. I wish him well for the future.”

Tesco said group operating profit for the year to February 24, 2018 are set to be “at least” £1.57bn, a slight uptick on analysts’ expectations. 

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