Halfords names Jill McDonald as its new chief executive
Car parts and cycle retailer Halfords has named Jill McDonald as its new chief executive.
McDonald will succeed Matt Davies who is stepping down in May to take up the position of UK and ROI chief executive at Tesco.
She is currently working with McDonald’s Corporation as chief executive and UK & president for the North West Division, Europe where she is responsible for around 3,300 owned and franchised restaurants across seven countries.
Having begun her career in 1987 at Colgate Palmolive, McDonald joined British Airways in 1990 where she held a number of marketing and management roles in the UK and Hong Kong, before rising to head of global marketing in 2004. She joined McDonald’s in 2006 as chief marketing officer for the UK & Northern Europe and was appointed to her current role in 2010.
Halfords chairman Dennis Millard said: “When the board began the search for a new CEO we were clear that we were looking for an outstanding business leader, particularly someone who had built and nurtured a culture of customer service and colleague engagement in a consumer facing business. So we are delighted to have recruited Jill, who has a strong track record of heading a large, complex, service-led business with great success.
“Jill will lead our high-calibre team and further develop Halfords’ successful service-based growth strategy. I’m really excited that we have attracted someone of Jill’s calibre who will build on what we’ve achieved over the last few years and we all really look forward to working with her.”
