When the job of running J Sainsbury came up for grabs, Mike Coupe admits that he “thought very carefully” about whether he was prepared to expose himself to the resultant glare of publicity and the “consequential aspects for my family”. Having decided to take the plunge, the physics graduate has thrust himself ever further into the spotlight, swallowing Home Retail Group, the owner of Argos, in a surprise £1.3 billion deal two years ago and now negotiating an audacious £12 billion merger with Asda that would put him at the helm of what would become Britain’s biggest grocer. Mr Coupe may be, by his own admission, “introspective”, but he does not lack for steeliness and determination, which will be important qualities as he seeks to…

Source: The Times April 29, 2018 22:59 UTC