Hajir Hajji is the new chief executive of high street discounter Action, crowning a career which took her from filling shelves at 17 to the top job at 41.

Hajji, a board member since 2011, filled the post of commercial director for the last three years. She will be focusing on sustainability and a more attractive online presence during her tenure at the top.

Hajji is taking over from current chief Sander van der Laan from January 1 but he will stay on until the end of March ‘to ensure a smooth transition’, Action said.

Action, which started life as a Dutch company, had 655 outlets in six countries when Van der Laan became chief executive in 2015. It now has 1,900 shops in nine countries, employs some 65,000 people and has an annual turnover of almost €5.6bn.