Carden will be responsible for customer research, analysis and targeting, as well as measuring marketing effectiveness. He will report directly to group director of marketing Gill Barr, and the organisation said he will play a key role in helping to develop its customer proposition.

The Co-op Group is the world’s largest mutual business, owned by nearly six million members. It is one of the UK’s largest food retailers and also runs a bank, an insurance provider, a funeral services business and a farming operation.

Carden was previously UK boss of Mastercard Advisors, which provides professional services based on transaction data from card purchases.

He said he looked forward to helping the Co-operative Group “stand out effectively in the marketplace”.