// Wilko has hired Karen Mackay as its new CFO
// She will join office in September to oversee the retailer’s finance, IT, and corporate services
Wilko has reportedly appointed the former Specsavers finance director Karen Mackay as its new chief financial officer.
Mackay will join office in September, and will be responsible for the retailer’s finance, IT, corporate services, health and safety, and loss prevention functions, Retail Week reported.
She will replace Alex Russo, who jumped ship to rival retailer B&M in March.
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Mackay was most recently the chief financial officer of healthcare firm Optegra where she spent the last five years.
Her appointment follows Jerome Saint-Marc joining as chief executive earlier this year.
Wilko director Lisa Wilkinson said Mackay will “strengthen” the senior team, with not just financial leadership but a proven track record in delivering significant strategic change.
In May, Wilko saw its full-year pre-tax profits and sales drop thanks to the “challenging” UK retail environment.
In the year to February 1, the retailer’s pre-tax profits dropped by 65 per cent, exacerbated by a 5.6 per cent decline in sales to £1.5 billion.
Like-for-like sales declined by 6.1 per cent during the period, while sales of own-brand lines grew during the year and represented 55 per cent of overall sales.
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