Aldi has announced that Jason Hart, who has held the role of chief executive of Aldi US for 10 years, will be promoted to the executive board of Aldi Süd as group chief operating officer.

Over the past decade Hart, who has worked for the retailer for 32 years, led the rapid expansion and development of the Aldi brand in the US, overseeing store count nearly double from 1,300 in 32 states to 2,500 across 39 states.

In his new role, Hart will help oversee the company's global operations in Salzburg, Austria from the beginning of September.

Originally owned by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht, the siblings decided to split Aldi into two sperate entities in 1960 while still trading under the Aldi brand name.

Aldi Süd operates stores in 11 countries including the UK, US, Italy and Switzerland while Aldi Nord owns shops in France, Spain and Poland.

Atty McGrath, the US arm’s current chief operating officer, will take Hart’s place as chief executive.

McGrath has spent her entire 20-year career with Aldi, holding a variety of positions ranging from district manager, director of operations and division vice president.

The move comes as Aldi plans to open around 800 new stores over the next five years.

More than 225 new stores are opening this year, which the company said is the most it has ever opened.

This year, the company has already opened 55 stores, with a further 75 set to open this summer in growth regions including Arizona, California, and South Carolina.

---