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Born in Surrey to Irish parents, Hurley flitted between England and Ireland during his time in education.

He was a boarder at Headfort Primary School in Kells, County Meath, but completed his secondary education in the UK.

Hurley returned to Ireland to study history at Trinity College, Dublin, and spent time teaching English in China before jetting home to enrol on fast-food giant McDonald’s graduate training programme.

He joined Aldi as an area manager in 2000 and was promoted to trading director of the Irish division just two years later, kick-starting a rapid rise through the discounter’s hierarchy.

By 2007, Hurley was named group buying director of Aldi’s Irish operation, then moved back to the UK in 2010 as regional managing director for the Northwest region.

Three years later, the father of four was back in Ireland as regional managing director of Southern and Western Ireland, and by 2014 he had been named joint managing director of corporate buying for the UK and Ireland.

Hurley has served as managing director of Aldi Ireland since September 2015, where he oversees its 130 stores. When he joined as area manager 18 years ago, it had just five.