People Moves
People Moves tracks leadership changes, senior appointments, and executive reshuffles across the UK retail industry. This section reports on new hires, promotions, and departures within major retail groups, suppliers, and service providers. Retail Sector’s People Moves coverage offers insight into how talent strategy and leadership dynamics influence company direction, governance, and performance — providing retail professionals with an up-to-date view of the industry’s key decision-makers.
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Jun- 2025 -24 June
Women hold half of retail board seats but ethnic diversity falls, BRC finds
Gender representation in retail boardrooms has increased significantly, with women now holding 47% of board seats compared with 32% in 2019, according to a report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and executive search firm the MBS Group. The report found that many retailers have invested in leadership development programmes,…
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19 June
Asda reappoints Darren Blackhurst as food CCO
Asda has announced the appointment of Darren Blackhurst as its new chief commercial officer for food, marking his return to the supermarket after more than a decade. Blackhurst, who held the same role at Asda between 2006 and 2010, will rejoin the business on 28 July. He replaces Kris Comerford,…
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12 June
Dobbies appoints two new directors in executive reshuffle
Dobbies Garden Centre has announced the appointment of two new directors, George Hutchinson and Richard Herbert, as part of efforts to strengthen its executive team. News of the appointments comes as operations director, Nick Anderson, steps down after 12 years with the business. Hutchinson previously served as regional operations director…
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May- 2025 -28 May
M&S appoints ex-Coles exec Thinus Keeves as retail director
M&S has announced it has appointed former Coles executive Thinus Keeves to the newly created role of retail director. Keeves, who will start on 6 June, will report to operations director Sacha Berendji. Berendji will continue to have overall accountability for Retail, Property, Security and Business Continuity. Keeves joins the…
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27 May
OnBuy founder named chief executive of Comet
The founder and chief executive of OnBuy, Cas Paton, has been appointed chief executive of Comet following its acquisition by OnBuy last week. In an announcement on LinkedIn, Paton announced his appointment effective immediately. The recent acquisition is set to marks a new chapter for both companies. OnBuy, founded in…
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19 May
Frasers Group CEO Michael Murray joins Hugo Boss supervisory board
Frasers Group has announced that its CEO Michael Murray has joined the supervisory board of Hugo Boss. Frasers proposed Murray for election back in December, and he joins Stephan Sturm, chairman of the board of the Heinz Hermann Thiele Family Foundation and Andreas Kurali, a freelance business consultant, as its…
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14 May
Not On The High Street appoints Jessica Nesbitt as CEO
Not On The High Street has appointed Jessica Nesbitt to the role of CEO, replacing Leanne Rothwell, who is stepping down after two-and-a-half years at the helm of the company and an overall 13-year tenure. Nesbitt, Not On The High Street’s current chief growth officer, will step into the role…
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7 May
TOFS appoints former commercial director Tim Bettley as MD
The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) has appointed experienced retail leader and its former commercial director Tim Bettley as its new managing director. Bettley was most recently commercial director at Poundland and Dealz, and before that operated in the same role at TOFS from 2015 and 2018, during which time the…
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7 May
Asda appoints former Morrisons exec as chief customer officer
Asda has announced the appointment of Rachel Eyre as the new chief customer officer, succeeding David Hills in the role. Eyre joins from Morrisons where she was previously chief customer and marketing officer, responsible for the retailer’s customer service, brand, marketing, digital and PR activities. Prior to joining Morrisons in…
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2 May
End appoints former Prada and Givenchy boss as new CEO
Streetwear retail brand End has announced the appointment of Sebastian Suhl, former chief executive of Prada and Givenchy, as its new CEO. Suhl joins End with an extensive retail career spanning 25 years, and steps into his new role following the departure of current CEO Parker Guerdson on 1 May…
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