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The Very Group, operator of digital retailer Very, has promoted Robbie Feather to the position of group CEO succeeding Lionel Desclée, who has chosen to step down and pursue new opportunities.
Feather, who joined The Very Group in 2021, previously led the company’s retail team, which includes all category sourcing, buying, and merchandising, as well as group trading and marketing.
He has recently overseen the development of the company’s successful new brand platform and its market-beating retail performance, which saw Very UK H1 FY24 revenue grow 2.7% year on year to over £1bn, increasing total online market share by 0.2% pts.
Formerly CEO of Fenwick, the luxury department store business, Feather helped to turn around the company and modernise its customer proposition, including launching its online business. He previously held a number of roles at Sainsbury’s Argos, including commercial director on the Argos board, during which time he oversaw the digital transformation of the business and led the commercial team.
Regarding his appointment, Feather said: “I’m hugely excited to be appointed group CEO of The Very Group. This is an outstanding business with a unique proposition, combining multicategory digital retail with flexible ways to pay. I look forward to working with our amazing Very team to delight our customers and continue to deliver sustainable growth for our shareholders.”
Under Desclée’s leadership, the company delivered robust results, including increasing H1 FY24 pre-exceptional EBITDA by 10.1% year on year to £130.7m. Customer experience improvements helped The Very Group record its “best ever net promoter score”, which remains high, while colleague improvements boosted engagement.
The company also reached milestones in its tech transformation, such as migrating to cloud infrastructure, introducing AI-powered on-site search and partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft to accelerate generative AI innovation.
Desclée said: “It has been a privilege to lead this innovative and committed team in delighting our customers. I am proud of our achievements and believe that under Robbie’s leadership, the company will continue to succeed.”
Aidan Barclay, The Very Group’s chairman, added: “Robbie has proven to be an outstanding retail leader, both at The Very Group and throughout his career. He understands our business intimately and has a strong track record of transformation and growth. He is the perfect person to lead the next stage of The Very Group’s development.
“On behalf of the board, I want to thank Lionel for his strong, customer-focused leadership. We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”
