Allan Leighton began his career in retail at Mars Confectionery in 1974 before moving to Pedigree Petfoods as Sales Director. In 1992, he joined Asda as Group Marketing Director and became Chief Executive in 1996. Under his leadership, Asda transformed from a struggling business into a retail success story, culminating in its £6.7 billion sale to Wal-Mart in 1999.

After leaving Asda in 2000, Allan embraced a portfolio career, holding non-executive roles at major retail and consumer brands including Selfridges, Bhs, Office, and Dyson. He also served as Chairman of Pandora, where he later became CEO, and held leadership roles at Loblaw Companies and George Weston Ltd in Canada.

In 2015, Allan became the first independent non-executive Chairman of the Co-operative Group, playing a key role in its turnaround. He stepped down in 2024 after completing a nine-year term.

Currently, Allan chairs several retail and consumer-focused companies including Pizza Express, BrewDog, C&A, Simba Sleep, and AllBright. In November 2024, he returned to Asda as Executive Chair, aiming to restore the company’s core identity.