Shop Direct names new chief executive
Shop Direct, the owner of Very.co.uk, Littlewoods.com and VeryExclusive.co.uk, has appointed Henry Birch as its new chief executive.
Due to join the business later this year, Birch is currently chief executive officer at Rank Group, which owns and operates Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo alongside several European gaming and casino businesses.
Prior to this, he spent four years as chief executive of William Hill Online, where he launched the company’s mobile business, driving 170% growth in revenue and more than doubling operating profit.
At Shop Direct, he will take the reins from interim chief executive and group finance director Derek Harding and succeed previous chief executive Alex Baldock who is taking up the same role at Dixons Carphone.
Aidan Barclay, chairman of Shop Direct, said: “Henry is an experienced CEO and an exceptional leader. From both Rank Group and William Hill Online, he brings a track record of reshaping businesses to become more customer-focused, data-driven and technology-enabled while simultaneously driving outstanding financial performance.
“We’re delighted to attract somebody of Henry’s calibre and very much look forward to working with him as we continue the digital transformation of Shop Direct.”
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