Yorkshire-based Asda HR worker recognised in Queen's Honours alongside billionaire brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa

An Asda employee who played crucial role in the supermarket chain taking on thousands of temporary workers after the coronavirus pandemic struck has been recognised in the honours.

Imran Rashid Davji, an HR administrator based at Asda Britannia House head office in Morley, is to be awarded with an MBE.

When the COVID-19 crisis took hold in the UK, the retailer worked to keep shelves stocked and protect its vulnerable staff.

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Mr Davji, 24, from Batley, played a “critical” role in recruiting around 25,000 temporary colleagues as part of Asda’s friends and family recruitment scheme, making sure all of its stores were in a position to take them on.

Zuber and Mohsin Issa.Zuber and Mohsin Issa.
Zuber and Mohsin Issa.

He said: “It was a pivotal time to ensure everything was close to perfect as we had a duty to ensure support was provided to everyone around the country.”

Billionaire brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa have been handed royal honours a week after snapping up supermarket giant Asda in a £6.8 billion deal.

The Issa brothers are among a number of bosses made a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, as they were hailed for services to business and charity for their work leading petrol forecourt operator EG Group.

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The billionaires made their fortunes after successfully transforming their business from one rented petrol station into a network of almost 6,000 forecourts across 10 countries over the past 20 years.

Last week, the Blackburn-based pair revealed they will take the reins at Asda after winning a multibillion-pound auction to buy the UK grocery chain from Walmart.

On Friday, Asda confirmed the brothers and private equity backers TDR Capital agreed the takeover deal, committing to keep the Leeds quarters and vowing to invest more than £1 billion into the retailer over the next three years.

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