Matalan continues to bolster top team with new retail, supply chain chiefs

British fashion and homeware retailer Matalan has announced the appointment of retail and supply chain chiefs, adding to a spate of executive hires in recent months.

The company has named Phil Hackney as its new chief supply chain operations officer and Katherine Davis as chief retail officer - two newly created roles that aim to “support Matalan’s transformation, unlocking improvements to the customer journey as the business targets future growth opportunities”.

Hackney, who will take on his new role from July 3, joins Matalan from The Very Group, where he served as chief operating officer. Earlier in his career, he held executive positions at Boots and Pets at Home.

Davis, who will join the business on July 10, most recently served as global retail director at Paperchase, and previously worked at fashion retailers Marks & Spencer - where she spent 18 years - and George at Asda.

Separately, Mike Jeans, who has spent 20 years at Matalan, most recently as operations director, will be leaving the business in mid-July.

More top changes following Matalan takeover

CEO Jo Whitfield, who himself only took up the top position at Matalan in March, thanked Jeans for his work at the company and welcomed the two new hires.

“We will be able to benefit from their deep industry experience as they support Matalan’s executional excellence in their respective focus areas,” he said.

There’s been a lot of change at Matalan recently following its takeover by a group of lenders at the beginning of the year.

Chief executive Whitfield, the former CEO of Co-op Food, was appointed in March along with chair Karl-Heinz Holland.

In the following two months, the company additionally appointed Ali Jones, the former customer and community director at the Co-op Group, as chief customer and omni-channel officer, as well as Ben Smith, the former trading director at Pep&Co, as chief trading officer.