Asda comms chief Sian Jarvis steps down

Jarvis, who led the retailer’s PR and corporate affairs functions, has left the firm but will continue to working with Asda as a consultant supporting its strategic comms.

She told PRWeek that her decision to step down was due to her wish to better balance her home life by working full-time in London, rather than the Leeds/London split the Asda role entailed.

Jarvis’ work with Asda will not be on an exclusive basis, and she suggested she may launch a consultancy at some point in the future.

Jarvis was brought into the retailer by Asda chief executive Andy Clarke, who created a new role for her to oversee all aspects of the supermarket’s communications.

Asda’s PR and corporate affairs teams will now report into chief marketing officer Steve Smith.

Jarvis joined Asda in January 2012 having previously been director-general for comms at the Department of Health since 2004. She joined the DH as head of news in 1999 after working as a political correspondent GMTV and a journalist for BBC television and radio.

Seperately Asda has hired Russell Craig from Manchester Airport Group as head of PR, replacing Nick Agarwal who became corporate affairs director for the University of Sheffield.

Asda is the second largest supermarket in the UK, behind Tesco, with a market share of 17.6 per cent.

This article was first published on prweek.com