Mr Anderton will succeed Noel Keeley, who is due to retire from the business at the end of 2026, following more than 20 years with the family owned, Cork-based, food retail, wholesale and foodservice group, it said.

The group confirmed that Mr Anderton will join Musgrave on May 1, before formally taking over the chief executive role at the end of the year.

Mr Keeley has been chief executive since 2020, having taken on the role just as the Covid-19 pandemic began, it said.

Mr Anderton joins Musgrave from Circle K owner Alimentation Couche-Tard, a Canadian-headquartered group, where he most recently served as global senior vice president for strategy and transformation.

He was also a member of the company’s global executive team, it said.

Alimentation Couche-Tard is the world’s second-largest convenience retailer, operating more than 17,300 stores across 29 countries.

Mr Anderton joined the group in 2015 following its acquisition of Topaz in Ireland, where he served as both chief financial officer and chief executive officer. He would later go on to hold the role of senior vice president of operations for Europe.

Earlier in his career, Mr Anderton held senior management positions with Primark and Telefónica O2, and he qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG, it said.

Musgrave chairman Nicky Hartery said Mr Anderton was well placed to lead the group through its next phase.

“Niall brings a wealth of experience and strong leadership to our team at Musgrave and is exceptionally well placed to guide the business forward in an era of considerable opportunity,” Mr Hartery said.

“As one of Europe’s leading family-owned businesses, we know that Niall will play a pivotal role in building the future of our business for the continued benefit of our customers, colleagues, shareholders and communities,” Mr Hartery said.

He also paid tribute to outgoing chief executive officer Noel Keeley, highlighting his long service with the group.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Noel Keeley for his immense contribution and dedication, which has helped position the business strongly for the future.

“The board and I would like to acknowledge the role Noel played in leading the business, driving growth across all our brands, strengthening the culture of our business and setting us up for substantive growth and transformation in the years ahead,” Mr Hartery added.