Tesco names H&M veteran as MD for home and clothing

Supermarket giant Tesco has appointed Katja Ahola Klamkin as its new group managing director for home and clothing. She succeeds Jan Marchant, who is exiting the company after almost 20 years.

Klamkin joins Tesco from H&M, where she has held roles of increasing responsibility over the course of 27 years. She had first joined the fast fashion giant in 1997 as financial controller, and before serving in positions such as global expansion manager and country manager Italy. Her latest role at the retailer was that of managing director business unit lifestyle.

Klamkin confirmed the move on LinkedIn, where she shared appreciation for her time at H&M, stating that she considered herself “so very lucky to have had the opportunity to be inspired daily by so many fantastic colleagues”. During her time at H&M, she was part of teams that helped launch the brand in the US, as well as navigate times of crises.

In her new role at Tesco, Klamkin will be based in London, where she will take up a position in which she will “be part of an ambitious growth journey in a company with strong values and community engagement”. “I look forward to joining the Tesco Team during spring and getting to know everyone,” she concluded.

On Marchant's departure, Ashwin Prasad, Tesco's chief commercial officer, said in an internal memo acquired by FashionUnited: "Jan has made an incredible contribution to the business. She has led the Home & Clothing team with product expertise and passion to offer Tesco customers the latest trends and styles that are stylish, affordable, accessible and wearable for everyday life. This is most notably seen in the design and launch of our exciting F&F Home range; our partnership with The Entertainer; and the purchase of the Paperchase brand."

This article was updated February 28, 10:20, with a quote received by FashionUnited from Tesco.