His appointment comes as Primark owner Associated British Foods continues to weigh spinning off the retail business, likely via a stock market listing. It would likely value Primark at as much as £13bn (€15bn).
Mr Tonge (54) has been serving as interim CEO since March last year, when former CEO Paul Marchant resigned.
Mr Marchant left the business after an incident that Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) said related to “his behaviour towards [a woman] in a social environment”.
Mr Tonge was appointed a director of ABF in February 2023 and named group finance director the following month.
“My priorities are to strengthen Primark’s core customer proposition of disruptive value leadership, enhance our digital engagement, pursue international growth and drive greater operational effectiveness and efficiency,” he said. “I am excited by the opportunities ahead of us.”
On a Linkedin post, Mr Tonge said that he is “honoured” to lead the Primark team into “its ambitious next chapter”.
“Proud to step into the role of CEO for such an iconic retailer – a brand I grew up with that has become one of Ireland’s greatest international success stories,” he said.
Penneys was established in Dublin in 1969.
Prior to joining ABF, Mr Tonge was chief financial officer and chief strategy officer at Marks & Spencer.
He was previously the chief financial officer of Irish food group Greencore, a role he left in 2020. He took up that position in 2016, having been the managing director of Greencore’s grocery division in the UK.
“During his interim tenure, Eoin has developed and begun to implement a strategy to strengthen Primark’s customer proposition, including improving the product offer, sharpening value perception and enhancing digital and marketing capabilities,” according to ABF.
ABF chief executive George Weston said that Mr Tonge had been appointed following a comprehensive search process.
“Over the past year he has demonstrated the leadership, judgement and consumer insight needed to enable Primark to capture the significant opportunities ahead,” Mr Weston said. “The changes he is implementing are at an early stage but are already having a tangible benefit in a challenging environment.”
ABF has also appointed Filip Ekvall to the newly-created role of chief commercial officer of Primark, with effect from September 1 this year.
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