Morrisons names new boss

Mr Philips, 41, will take up his new position in March 2010.

Since January 2007 he has been chief operating officer of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor and a leading provider of general merchandise,pharmacy and financial products and services.

The company has more than 1,000 stores nationwide and a turnover of 18 billion.

Prior to that he was chief executive of Irish department store group, Brown Thomas.

Between 1998 and 2005 he worked for Wal-Mart's international division holding a range of commercial positions, rising to chief operating Officer in Germany.

Mr Philips, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, started his career as a store manager in New Zealand with Jardine Matheson and was later regional director of the company's Spanish supermarket division.

Sir Ian Gibson, Morrisons chairman, said: "I am delighted that Dalton will be joining Morrisons as chief executive.

"He has a tremendous retail pedigree and a wealth of experience from senior retail positions around the world.

"Ilookforward to welcominghim to the great team at Morrisons."

Mr Philips, who attended Stowe, said: "I am really pleased to be joining Morrisons.

"It's an incredibly exciting business with a terrific history and I'm really looking forward to meeting the team and to the challenge ahead."