Retail industry representative group the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has confirmed today that its Director General Stephen Robertson will be standing down in December.

Robertson joined the organisation in 2008 and has since been representing the interests of the largest retail organisations in the UK through lobbying government, media appearances and hosting events.

Other than continuing to hold his existing non-executive roles at Timpson Group and Hargreaves Lansdown, Robertson has stated that he has no intention to utilise his vast retail experience within any other organisations in the future.

Before beginning his work at the BRC, Robertson spent 14 years on the boards of several major UK retailers, primarily in marketing roles.

Commenting on his departure, Robertson said: “I‘m proud of the strength and capabilities of the BRC team and the important work it does. The organisation is in a good position to handle the challenges the retail sector faces. I want to be sure there is plenty of time to find the right person for the role.”

BRC Chairman Rob Templeman decided to make the departure of Robertson‘s departure public now to give the organisation enough time to find a replacement given its busy lobbying schedule.

Robertson will assist the BRC in finding a suitable replacement, with that process starting immediately, but will also carrying on with his current duties until December.

Templeman said: “Stephen has made a sterling contribution to the BRC and has moved the organisation forwards both in its policy achievements and in its financial stability.

“The membership of the BRC has grown significantly under Stephen‘s leadership and he will leave the BRC in a position of great strength and influence as the leading campaigning organisation for retailers.”

For seven years previous to joining the BRC, Robertson was Marketing Director at B&Q where he led the acquisition of Screwfix Direct, then went on to become Director of Communications of parent company Kingfisher, and during his career he also spent three years on the board of Woolworths.