Andy Bond (businessman)

Bond's father was a plumber and his mother a nurse. He was born in Grantham, and attended The King's School, Grantham and gained four A levels. He received a first-class BEng Hons in Gas Engineering from Salford University in 1987 as part of a British Gas plc scholarship spending a year on the job in the gas industry.

He started his career as a graduate trainee engineer with British Gas. In 1988, he worked for Manchester-based Hopkinsons Group, one of British Gas's suppliers, as a marketing manager. In 1992–1993, he studied for an MBA at Cranfield School of Management.

He began at ASDA as a marketing manager for Archie Norman, when aged 29 in April 1994, having been top of his course at Cranfield. He was noted for his determination and eye for detail. At ASDA, he worked under Allan Leighton and with Justin King. In 1998, he became corporate marketing director, then in 1999, he became European own-label director. In November 2000, he headed the George clothing brand of ASDA (worth about £1bn a year on its own in the UK, and based near Lutterworth), working with designer Kate Bostock, after the potentially-damaging departure of George Davies. He became Chief Operating Officer of ASDA in September 2004, then CEO in March 2005, resigning this position in April 2010.[1]

He married Susan Stringfellow in April 1997 in North Yorkshire. They live in Harrogate with their son (born 1998) and daughter (born 1999), having formerly lived in Bitteswell. He is keen on personal fitness.

• Opening the new Salford Business School in May 2007
• May 2007 Guardian article - Bond, licensed to sell
• November 2006 Telegraph article on employing 1,800 people to belatedly improve ASDA's internet presence
• February 2006 Independent article - A day in the life of Andy Bond
• January 2006 Independent article - Me and My MBA
• Becoming ASDA boss in March 2005
• November 2002 Times article on his GEORGE empire

• April 2007 interview on BBC Breakfast