Retail Gazette and executive search firm Oresa round up the biggest people moves of the month in May.
- Tesco chair John Allan has stood down as allegations over inappropriate behaviour “risk becoming a distraction” to the supermarket.
- Poundstretcher chief executive Derek Lawlor departs after less than a year at the helm. Lawlor was previously chief merchandising officer at Asda. Oresa CEO Orlando Martins says: “A lack of strategic alignment between owner and CEO is not uncommon. In one corner the purported requirement for some transformation and in the other business as usual. Business as usual has won out but does this equip the business for the intended IPO?”
- Just Eat appoints ex-John Lewis customer director Claire Pointon as its new MD for UK and Ireland. Martins says: “Getting the customer focus for Just Eat is clearly top of the agenda for the organisation as it pushes more towards grocery delivery and other tie ups. Having been at JLP in recent times will have prepped Claire no doubt for the challenge ahead.”
- Matalan hires ex-Primark executive Ben Smith to chief trading officer. Smith had been acting as the retailer’s interim buying and merchandising director since March.
- Revolution Beauty co-founder Tom Allsworth has stood down as its chair after an auditing probe found the firm had inflation sales by £9m to meet annual targets. Allsworth was also found to have made undisclosed loans.
- Crew Clothing CEO David Butler and several senior executives, including head of trade Cathy Carrington Birch and head of technical Kerry Beckwith, have exited the business.
- Aldi UK marketing director Adam Zavalis has departed after almost three years at the discounter.
- Hunter appoints former Jigsaw boss Chris Stephenson as interim CEO.
- Beauty Pie names ex-Peloton chief commercial officer Kevin Cornils as its first CEO.
- Superdry COO Silvana Bonello has exited the retailer.
- Just Hype appoints Mike Thompson as COO. Thompson, who has previously worked at Crocs, DKNY, and Reebok, joins the firm following its pre-pack administration in April.
- John Lewis drafts in former Hobbs boss Nicky Dulieu to its board.
- JD Sports appoints Dominic Platt as CFO. Platt was previously CFO at Compare The Market owner BGL Group.
- Topps Tiles has named Paul Forman as chair designate as Darren Shapland prepares to step down in October. Shapland, an ex-CFO at Sainsbury’s, survived a campaign by activist investor MS Galleon to oust him earlier this year.
- Next hires ex-Asos director Stephen Owen as its new international director. Owen was previously international boss at Topshop.
