[2][3][4] Hornby was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire,[5] but brought up in Bristol, where his father was headteacher of Clifton College Preparatory School.

He has a degree in English literature from St Peter's College, Oxford, and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated top of his class of 800 students.

[9] Hornby started his career with Boston Consulting Group[10] where he focused on retail, consumer goods and financial sectors.

After graduating from Harvard, he joined Blue Circle Industries where he carried out a range of general management roles.

For five years Hornby was a non-executive director of Home Retail Group (& previously GUS Plc) where, until standing down in July 2009, he was also Chairman of the Remuneration Committee.

The business added that he would work closely with the board and management team "to refine and develop the company's strategy as it enters a period of ambitious growth".

It said former bosses Sir James Crosby and Andy Hornby were largely to blame for the collapse of HBOS, then the UK's fifth-biggest bank, in 2008; former chairman Lord Stevenson was also heavily criticised.

[27][failed verification] On 25 March 2011, Alliance Boots announced that Andy Hornby was stepping down from his position.

Hornby was subsequently retained on a "consultancy" contract by Lloyds Banking Group[30] On 10 February 2009, Hornby and former HBOS chairman, Lord Stevenson of Coddenham came before the Treasury Select Committee of the House of fCommons where he was questioned by MPs who complained that he refused to take any personal responsibility for his role in Halifax's collapse in the financial crisis.

About his time at Asda, Hornby said he had a new job every 18 months, starting in investor relations, running the stores and being the managing director of George clothing.