Tesco promotes IT director to CIO

Mike McNamara succeeds Philip Clarke, who is in line to take over as CEO

Tesco has named its new CIO, promoting current IT director Mike McNamara to the post vacated by Philip Clarke.

Clarke will take over the top job from out-going chief executive Sir Terry Leahy on 1 March.

McNamara will report directly to Clarke and is one of seven new appointees to the supermarket giant's executive committee announced today.

Ken Towle, recently appointed internet retailing director, also joins the committee.

McNamara was chief technology officer of the retailer's online presence up to 2006 and has been at Tesco since 1998. He has also held posts at BT and Accenture.

Clarke's rise to the top role has been seen as vindication of the importance of IT in businesses like Tesco's.