The promotion means that Roberts, who will take up the post at the end of May, is the second Boots alumnus to be named leader of one of Britain’s biggest supermarkets as Ken Murphy prepares to replace Tesco boss Dave Lewis this summer. 

Roberts joined Sainsbury’s in May 2017 after 14 years at Boots, where he held a dual role as executive vice-president of Walgreens Boots Alliance and president of Boots’ 2,400-store UK and Ireland business.