Debenhams Group plc
BOO:LN
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Overview
Company Profile
Our vision is to lead the fashion e-commerce market globally, in a way that delivers for our customers, people, suppliers and stakeholders. Our focus is to maintain an outstanding customer proposition, with the latest fashion at great prices, combined with excellent customer service. To this end, we have a plan of continuous investment in our systems, infrastructure and technology to ensure we offer an optimal online shopping experience as we look to build for the future and further cement our position as a leader in global fashion e-commerce.
Classification
Financials
News & Media
Corporate
Board of Directors
Mahmud Kamani
Joint Chief Executive
Mahmud founded boohoo group with Carol Kane in 2006, leveraging over 30 years of experience in the fashion and clothing industry. Mahmud is an entrepreneur, with expertise encompassing all areas of the supply chain from sourcing, import and wholesale. Mahmud is an inspirational leader, having built a strong team and engendered loyalty from many long-serving employees.
Carol Kane
Joint Chief Executive
Carol co-founded boohoo group with Mahmud Kamani in 2006 following their shared recognition in the opportunity for online retail. As part of her role as joint Chief Executive, Carol oversees the Group’s product, marketing and brand strategy across the UK and internationally. She has worked in the fashion industry throughout her career, initially as a designer and then as a fashion buyer. Before setting up boohoo.com, Carol and Mahmud worked together for over 20 years supplying high street retailers.
Neil Catto
Chief Financial Officer
Neil qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young and spent nine years working in their Manchester, Palo Alto and Reading offices. He was previously Finance Director of dabs.com plc and has held senior financial positions in BT plc and The Carphone Warehouse Group plc.
Peter Williams
Non-executive Chairman
Peter is chairman of the Nomination Committee. Peter is currently the Chairman Designate of U and I Group plc, Senior Independent Director and Chairman of Remuneration Committee of both Sportech PLC and Rightmove plc. He is Chairman of Mister Spex, an online retailer specialising in eyewear based in Berlin, and is a trustee of the Design Council. He is also chairman of DP Eurasia N.V. In the past, he was the Senior Independent Director of ASOS plc for almost eight years and also served on the boards of Jaeger, Cineworld Group plc, EMI group, Blacks Leisure Group plc, OfficeTeam, Silverstone, JJB Sports plc, GCap Media plc, and Capital Radio group plc. In his executive career, he was Chief Executive at Alpha group plc and prior to that was Chief Executive of Selfridges plc, where he also acted as Chief Financial Officer for over ten years. Peter is a chartered accountant.
David Forbes
Non-executive director & Senior Independent Director
David is currently Chairman of Renew Holdings plc and Non-Executive Director of Adare SEC Holdings Limited. David is chairman of the Audit Committee and also sits on the Audit and Nomination Committee. David is currently Chairman of the Remuneration Committee at Renew Holdings plc. He was previously Non-executive Chairman of Northern Ballet Theatre Limited and MaxAim LLP. Former non-executive directorships included Vertu Motors plc and Codex Holdings. David qualified as a chartered accountant in 1984 and has been a leading figure in Corporate Finance advisory services for many years, including 22 years in the investment banking division of N M Rothschild. David’s areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy and corporate finance involving both equity and debt.
Sara Murray
Non-executive director
Sara joined the Board in April 2016. Sara is founder and CEO of buddi, a provider of mobile tracking devices. Sara was the founder and CEO of Inspop.com Limited (trading as confused. com) until 2002. Sara was a non-executive director of Schering Health care for five years and member of the governing board of Innovate UK (Technology Strategy Board). She is a Member of the Council of Imperial College London and was awarded an OBE for services to entrepreneurship and innovation in 2012.
Pierre Cuilleret
Non-executive director
Pierre joined the Board in September 2017. He sits on each of the Company’s Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees. Pierre is a successful entrepreneur, who founded The Phone House in 1996, which became the number one independent mobile phone retailer in Europe. The Company was subsequently acquired by The Carphone Warehouse Group Plc which was floated on the London Stock Exchange in July 2000. Pierre then became its Chief Executive Officer Group Insurance. Between 2005 and 2014, Pierre was Chief Executive Officer of Micromania, the number one video game retailer in France, where he oversaw its rapid growth and acquisition by Gamestop Group. In parallel to his CEO duties, in July 2011 Pierre was appointed as an independent non-executive director of DIA (Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentacion SA), a €10 Bn + food retailer, listed on the IBEX 35 index of the Madrid Stock Exchange, where he served on the board until 2016. Pierre currently serves as an independent non-executive director on the board of Barcelona-based fashion retailer Desigual.
Iain McDonald
Non-executive director
Ian joined the Board in July 2017. He is Chair of the Company’s Remuneration Committee. Iain is a specialist technology and e-commerce investor who has invested in some of the most successful businesses in Europe including Asos, The Hut Group, Eagle Eye Solutions, Anatwine and Metapack. Iain is also the Chairman of AIM-listed MySale Group, a leading e-commerce platform based in Sydney and a NED of The Hut Group, CentralNic and Fishing Republic. Iain was nominated as a NED of the year by The Sunday Times and was previously a top-ranked retail and e-commerce analyst.
Senior Management
Keri Devine
Company Secretary and General Counsel
Keri joined boohoo group in September 2014. Keri qualified as a solicitor with DLA Piper in 1996 and has worked in private practice and industry through her career including the Co-Operative Group between 2008 and 2014.
Harry Dixon
IT Director
Harry Dixon was appointed as IT Director at boohoo group in November 2013. Prior to boohoo group, Harry held the role of Technical Director at Traveljigsaw (part of Priceline Group) from February 2010 to October 2013, having joined them from Gold Medal Travel where he was IT Director for 2 years. Harry has held several IT Director/technical Director roles between 2001-2007 in the Travel and Finance sector. He has a BSc (Hons) in Maths and Computer Science from Dundee University.
Tony Burley
Logistics Director
Tony Burley was appointed Logistics Director at boohoo group in March 2013. Prior to joining boohoo group, Tony was Logistics Director for Marks & Spencer from 2011. This role included a focus on the set up and implementation of the first M&S operated super site at Castle Donnington. Prior to M&S, Tony was Operations Director for Unipart Consumer Logistics between 2005 and 2011. Key accounts during this time included asos.com, Pets at Home, Clas Ohlson, and Sainsburys. At asos Tony worked on their transfer to a new site and Red Prairie WMS implementation. Prior to this between 1999 and 2004 Tony held senior logistics posts, having started his career within warehouse operations and progressed to leadership positions.
Debbi Ball
Buying Director
Debbi Ball joined boohoo group as Buying Director on 24th February 2014. Debbi has extensive experience within fashion retail buying. Her most recent post has been Buying Director at Bank (ladies wear). Prior to joining Bank Debbi completed some consultancy work. She has recently held roles at Shop Direct as Head of Buying between 2010-2012, ASOS Head of Buying (outlet) 2006-2010 and earlier in her career held roles at TK Maxx, Great Universal and Topshop. She holds a Business degree from Humberside University.
Caroline Evans
Design Director
Caroline Evans has a lengthy pedigree having been involved in boohoo group from the outset due to her role within Pinstripe where she worked for Mahmud Kamani and Carol Kane. She joined the organisation in 1996 as a designer, and has progressed to the role of Design Director due to her extensive design experience within the fast fashion market and the boohoo group demographic. Caroline has significant experience in working with the Far East, and is also adept at working with and sourcing suppliers, and buying product as well as the creative elements of the design function. Caroline has a BA (hons) in Design Management.
Paul Horsfield
Merchandising Director
Paul was appointed as Merchandising Director at boohoo group in November 2014. Paul has extensive multi-channel retail and merchandising experience. Prior to boohoo group, Paul held a number of senior management and director level roles at Shop Direct (Very.com). Paul has also held positions at Matalan, Instore and WHSmiths. Paul holds a degree in History and Economics from Leeds University Business School.
Gary Birney
HR Director
Gary joined boohoo group as HR Director in May 2014. Following a first degree and subsequent MBA from the University of Warwick, Gary held progressively more senior HR roles in a number of companies and sectors including manufacturing, logistics/distribution and retail. He held HR Director positions with Toyota GB, Caudwell Communications, Thomas Cook and Nuffield Health as well as periods in consultancy with Price Waterhouse and others. His experience covers start up, FTSE100, domestic and overseas operations.
Andrew Thomson
Ecommerce Director
Andrew Thomson joined boohoo group as Ecommerce Director in June 2015. Prior to his appointment Andrew held a number of senior positions within Pentland Group notably Group Digital Director, where he supported the development and delivery of online strategies for brands owned or invested in by Pentand, as diverse as global market leaders to start-ups. He was also Ecommerce Director for Lacoste where he helped to launch and grow the brands first transactional sites across Europe and China. With almost 20 years’ experience in apparel and footwear Andrew has held a number of senior board and director level commercial and operational roles.
Dudley George
Third Party Director
Dudley George joined boohoo group in December 2004 as Third Party Director, his appointment follows 40 years of experience within the industry. Dudley was asked to join the company following many years of association with the Kamani family businesses, he is tasked with populating the Boohoo Brand onto third parties platforms. Having successfully operated his own companies for over 4 decades, his experience covers all aspects within the textile industry, from fabric knitting, to retailing, manufacturing, importing & exporting, ultimately developing brands within the women & men's markets, with a distributing network throughout the UK & Europe. Prior to life in textiles Dudley held an HND qualification in Design & Automated Mechanical Engineering.
Murray Beckett
Digital Marketing Director
Murray Beckett joined boohoo group as Digital Marketing Director in June 2017. Murray has extensive international ecommerce and digital marketing experience acquired across travel, finance and retail industries for brands such as British Airways, American Express, Nike and M&S. Prior to joining boohoo group Murray was VP of Marketing for a global computer games company called Green Man Gaming. Murray holds a Masters degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Otago, New Zealand.