Primark’s parent company, Associated British Foods (ABF), is poised to confirm Eoin Tonge as the permanent CEO of the renowned fast fashion retailer, as reported.
This development marks a year after Tonge took on the role as Primark’s interim CEO, according to a recent report from Sky News on February 25. His appointment followed the departure of former CEO Paul Marchant, who resigned after an investigation uncovered allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a female colleague.
Before assuming the CEO role, Tonge served as ABF’s finance director starting from April 2023.
He transitioned to ABF from Marks & Spencer, where he held the position of chief financial and strategy officer. Tonge earned recognition for guiding the organization through significant challenges during his tenure, even being considered for the CEO position before it went to Stuart Machin.
Following his exit, Primark publicly acknowledged that Marchant “acknowledged his error of judgment and accepts that his actions fell below the expected standards” of the company.
The company stated that the incident was investigated “some time ago,” and that “proportionate action” had been taken.
Upon the announcement of Marchant’s departure, ABF’s CEO George Weston expressed his disappointment, emphasizing that all colleagues deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.
He stated, “At ABF, we believe that high standards are essential. Acting responsibly is the only path to sustaining and managing a business over the long term.”
An ABF spokesperson elaborated, “In March 2025, we initiated the search for a permanent CEO.”
“Since that time, the board has conducted a thorough search, evaluating both internal and external candidates.”
“The process is at an advanced stage, but we will refrain from comments until it concludes.”
In additional Primark news, this announcement follows ABF’s recent disclosure of a revised outlook and revenue decline for the 16 weeks ending January 3.
The company revealed that Primark’s sales fell by 2.7 percent on a like-for-like (LFL) basis, with its European arm experiencing an even steeper decline of 5.7 percent.
