Allan Leighton has been appointed as The Co-operative Group‘s new chairman, the group's first independent non-executive chair, under its new management structure.

He is presently chief executive of high street jewellery retailer Pandora, but will step down on 1 March. He has also served as Asda's chief executive from 1996 to 2000, before joining Royal Mail as non-executive chairman.

The introduction of independent board members is part of sweeping changes to the Co-operative's organisational structure.