B&M interim CFO exits after less than five months in the role
B&M’s interim chief financial officer Helen Cowing has stepped down after less than five months in the role.
She has been succeeded by group financial controller, Peter Waterhouse, who has been a key member of the B&M finance team since joining the business in 2013. He will continue in the interim role until a permanent chief financial officer is appointed.
Subscribe to TRBIn January, B&M reported that third quarter revenue had increased by 2.9%, but warned on profit as investments to strengthen the business weighed on near-term financial performance.
B&M has also announced that former Pets at Home chief executive Peter Pritchard has become a non-executive director. With 40 years’ retail experience, he has also held senior roles at Asda and Wilko. He is currently a non-executive director at electricals retailer AO World.
Tiffany Hall, chair of B&M, said: “We are delighted to welcome Peter to the B&M board. Peter brings deep retail experience, which will be a great asset to the board as we support Tjeerd and his leadership team in executing our Back to B&M Basics plan and driving future growth.”
Pritchard said: “I am excited to be joining the board of B&M at an important point in its development. B&M is a highly differentiated business with a strong value-led proposition, disciplined operating model and a clear opportunity to drive further growth.”
Announcing a further appointment, B&M said Jennifer Lawrence will be joining the business as group people director on 5 May. She previously held leadership positions at Boots Opticians and Costcutter, and has worked with Card Factory for the past six years, most recently as chief people and transformation officer.
Tjeerd Jegen, B&M chief executive, said: “It’s fantastic to have Jennifer join B&M in this new expanded role. Alongside our customers, our people are vital stakeholders in our business. Jennifer’s appointment will help us serve them better while deepening the diversity of talent we are building across our leadership.”
“I’m equally pleased we can draw on Peter’s considerable experience and expertise as our interim CFO. I look forward to working closely with him in his new role. I would like to thank Helen for leading our finance team on an interim basis in recent months. We wish her well for the future.”
