John Hardman

John Hardman (born 8 October 1939)[1] is a British businessman, and a former Managing Director and Chairman of Asda.

Early life

He was born and grew up in Liverpool, the only son with six daughters. He attended the all-male grammar school Quarry Bank High School. He studied Economics at the University of Liverpool from 1959-62, gaining a BComm. He trained to be a chartered accountant.[2]

Career

RCA

He worked for RCA in America from 1966, looking after a USA plant making television tubes until 1973.

Asda

At Asda he was Finance Director from 1981 and Chief Operating Officer from 1983.

He became Managing Director in 1984,[3] staying until 1991. He took the number of stores from 101 in 1985 to 204 in 1991. In 1985 Asda was the UK's third-largest supermarket chain.

In 1985 he brought in a new design of store, replacing the cream and brown colour scheme for apple green and orange. The entrance area would have concessionary stores.[4]

He became Executive Chairman from January 1988 of Asda Group.[5] He earned £231,000 in 1989.

He resigned as Chairman on Monday 10 June 1991.[6] Graham Stow, the chief executive of Asda Stores, also resigned. The stores subsequently were run by the two man directors.

He appeared in the Channel Five 2020 documentary Inside Asda: Bigger, Better, Cheaper?.

Personal life

He married Joan, a British Airways stewardess, in 1965; they have a son and daughter. His interests are golf and Liverpool FC.

He lives in a rural part of West Yorkshire in the east of the District of Leeds.

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References
  1. Companies House
  2. Times 'Business Profile' Saturday December 8 1990, page 41
  3. "Hardman's race to catch up Asda's rivals goes on apace". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  4. Times Wednesday 6 November 1985, page 21
  5. Times Friday 11 December 1987, page 23
  6. Times Tuesday 11 June 1991, page 25
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