// Ex-Pets at Home chief executive Peter Pritchard join’s AO board as an independent non-executive director
// AO chairman: “We set out to appoint an individual with suitable experience to continue to develop the Board’s skill set and Peter brings with him a strong mix of knowledge”
AO World has said that former Pets at Home boss Peter Pritchard has joined the electrical retailer‘s board as an independent non-executive director and a member of both the audit committee and remuneration committee, effective from 1 October 2022.
Until recently, Pritchard was chief executive officer at Pets at Home, leading its transformation into the UK’s largest and fastest-growing pet care business.
He joined the retailer in 2011 as commercial director, being appointed chief executive in March 2018 and has over 35 years of consumer and broad operational experience, having worked for many of the UK’s best-known retailers, including Wilkinson Stores Limited, Asda/Walmart stores Inc, Sainsbury’s and M&S.
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During his tenure at the pet retailer, he expanded the business’s interests in additional services including vets and grooming salons and helped create a loyalty scheme which now has 6.5 million active members.
He also invested £20 million in updating the retailer’s digital business and brought sales up to £1 billion during the pandemic for the first time in its history.
AO chairman Geoff Cooper said “We are delighted to welcome Peter as a Non-Executive Director. We set out to appoint an individual with suitable experience to continue to develop the Board’s skill set and Peter brings with him a strong mix of knowledge of consumer-focused businesses, as well as experience of transforming businesses. “
