Former Tesco and Casino executive Paul Martins is set to X5 Retail Group, Russia’s largest retailer, as commercial director.

Martins will join X5 on 13 August and is the second senior appointment that the retailer has announced this week.

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On Tuesday (2 August), X5 said Alexander Ermolenko, the deputy CEO for logistics at Russian rival Magnit, had joined the company as supply chain director.

Martins worked for Casino for 23 years and moved through the business until he headed the French retailer’s Leader Price discount business in Poland for seven years. In 2007, he joined Tesco as operations director for small formats in the country.

At X5, Martins replaces Ekaterina Ishevskaya, who is leaving the retailer to “pursue other opportunities”, the company said today.

CEO Andrei Gusev said: “Paul brings invaluable international retail industry experience to X5. He will further strengthen our relationships with suppliers to support X5’s goal of  providing customers with best value and assortment.”

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