Shaw will take up the position at the end of January, replacing Andy Murray, who has been chief customer officer at the retailer since February 2016.

Shaw, who is Australian, is managing director of her own company, Customer Dialogue, and is currently head of marketing, customer experience and digital at the University of Queensland. Prior to this, she held marketing leadership roles at companies in the UK and Australia, including Comparethemarket.com and Flight Centre.

Murray, who was previously senior vice-president of creative and customer experience at Walmart, is returning to the US.

The retailer has also appointed Helen Selby as general counsel and company secretary, and promoted its senior vice-president of operations, Anthony Hemmerdinger, to chief operating officer. Mark Simpson, who joined the business in 1997, has joined the board as chief supply chain officer.

Roger Burnley, chief executive officer at Asda, said: “As we kick off 2020 I am very confident that not only do we have the right team in place, but also the right strategy to make sure we can continue to serve our customers and grow our business, not just for this year but beyond.”