Ocado appoints ex-BT chief as NED

Ocado Group has revealed that former BT chief Gavin Patterson has been appointed as an independent non-executive director with effect from 1 June 2024.

Patterson will also be a member of the People Committee and the Remuneration Committee, with those appointments taking place on the date of his appointment to the board.

He was previously at Salesforce Inc. predominantly in the role of president and chief revenue officer, before stepping down in January 2023. Prior to joining Salesforce, he held multiple senior roles at BT Group plc, including group chief executive officer between 2013 and 2019.

Ocado said Patterson brings “considerable expertise leading large multinational organisations and highly relevant experience of the global marketplace for platform services”.

Rick Haythornthwaite, chairman of Ocado, said: “I am delighted to welcome Gavin to the Ocado board. He brings valuable perspective and multinational leadership experience to our board at an exciting time in Ocado’s development.”

Tim Steiner, CEO of Ocado, added: “Gavin is a great addition to our board. Over the past decade we have evolved from being an innovative online grocer in the UK to a global technology business, powering online operations for some of the world’s leading grocery retailers. We are also now deploying our unique technology into new sectors and opportunities for the first time. At this important moment, Gavin’s considerable experience at the helm of multinational B2B technology companies will be a valuable asset to our board and leadership team.”

Patterson concluded: “I have long been a huge admirer of Ocado and am delighted to join its board. Ocado is a true technology pioneer. It has developed and proven applications of AI and robotics that solve some of the most complex supply chain challenges in grocery and logistics. I look forward to working with the board and the leadership team at this exciting time.”