Sainsbury‘s head of technology Jon Rudoe has departed the company for a new role at Shop Direct.
As Shop Direct merges its retail and IT teams, Rudoe will take on the newly-created position where he will oversee ecommerce, marketing, trading, commercial, business development for Very Exclusive and IT, reporting directly to the chief executive Alex Baldock.
Rudoe has acted as digital and technology director at the grocer since 2014, after joining in 2011 and holding various roles.
Prior to working at Sainsbury‘s, Rudoe spent five years at Ocado where he was head of retail and customer.
READ MORE: Shop Direct profits surge thanks to online and mobile investments
Baldock said Rudoe’s appointment marks a pivotal time for the retailer.
“Bringing together our ecommerce and IT teams into one combined function with Jon at the helm will allow us to respond more quickly to our customers‘ rapidly changing needs, and to be faster to market in identifying and implementing new tech-focused opportunities,” he said.
Rudoe said: “As a pureplay etailer with a clear, proven strategy and a hunger to be at the forefront of customer-centred technological change, Shop Direct is arguably the most exciting place to be in UK retail right now.
“Technology has an enormous role to play in further enhancing the shopping experience that Shop Direct offers its customers and in delivering its world class ambitions.”
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