Shop Direct is to bring its retail and IT teams together as it focuses on improving and personalising the customer experience.
The new structure will be led by Jon Rudoe, who joins the Shop Direct executive board as retail and technology director, reporting to chief executive Alex Baldock. Rudoe, currently digital and technology director at Sainsbury’s, will join Shop Direct in April 2017.
Shop Direct says the new structure reflects the pureplay group’s increasing focus on delivering an easy, inspiring and personalised customer experience underpinned by substantial investments in technology – particularly in the area of artificial intelligence.
In all, Rudoe will oversee ecommerce, marketing, trading, commercial, business development, Very Exclusive and IT in his new role. His appointment to Shop Direct’s executive board follows on from those earlier this year of Phil Hackney and Sasha Berson as group operations director and group strategy and customer director respectively.
“We’re delighted that Jon has chosen to join us at such a pivotal point in our transformation,” said Alex Baldock, group CEO of Shop Direct . Shop Direct brands include Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com , both Top100 companies in IRUK Top500 research.
“With four consecutive years of sales and profit growth under our belts, his vast experience and expertise in digital, technology and trading will help us further accelerate our ambitious plans to become a world class digital retailer.
“In particular, bringing together our ecommerce and IT teams into one combined function with Jon at the helm will allow us to respond more quickly to our customers’ rapidly changing needs, and to be faster to market in identifying and implementing new tech-focused opportunities. It’s a bold and exciting move and one that will deliver massive benefits for us. I can’t wait to work with Jon.”
Rudoe said: “As a pureplay etailer with a clear, proven strategy and a hunger to be at the forefront of customer-centred technological change, Shop Direct is arguably the most exciting place to be in UK retail right now.
“Technology has an enormous role to play in further enhancing the shopping experience that Shop Direct offers its customers and in delivering its world class ambitions. The team is second to none and I’m excited to be joining and seeing what we can achieve together.”
