In a major signing, Britain’s biggest supermarket chain Tesco has appointed H&M Group executive Katja Ahola Klamkin as its new managing director for its clothing and home ops.

The division, which includes the influential mass fashion and lifestyle range F&F, see Klamkin replace Jan Marchant, who is retiring in March after more than two decades at Tesco.

Klamkin will join Tesco in the coming months following almost 30 years at H&M, latterly as managing director for Lifestyle since January 2024. She has also worked as its sales manager for North America, country manager for Italy, and head of Global Expansion, among other roles.

Marchant joined Tesco’s F&F as buying director in 2007, before eventually rising to design director in 2014 and creative and digital director in 2017.
She became chief executive of F&F clothing division in 2020, taking over from Richard Price. She took on her current role in 2022.

An internal Tesco communication said that “Katja has a strong all-round commercial and retail leadership profile across numerous leadership roles, disciplines and geographical locations within H&M Group. She brings with her a real wealth of experience and deep expertise across both Home & Clothing”.

Tesco also said that Marchant “has made an incredible contribution to the business… [leading] the 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”.