AO World Plc
AO.:LN
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Overview
Company Profile
We’re AO. Headquartered in Bolton, we are the largest online-only white goods and electricals retailer in the UK. We also operate in Germany.
We’re different: we have our own logistics company which allows us to deliver on our promises. We own Europe’s most sophisticated fridge recycling plant which allows us to do our bit for the environment.
We have the most amazing team which keeps us inventing, keeps us keen, keeps us better.
We have amazing customers too.
Classification
Financials
News & Media
Corporate
Board of Directors
Richard Rose
Chairman
Richard has been Non-Executive Chairman of Booker Group plc since 2006, Crawshaw plc since 2007, Anpario plc since 2005 and was also appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of fashion retailer Blue Inc in April 2014. Previously, he has held a number of positions in organisations such as AC Electrical Wholesale, where he was Chairman from 2003 to 2006, and Whittard of Chelsea plc, where he was Chief Executive Officer and then Executive Chairman from 2004 to 2006. In January 2015, Richard was appointed Non-Executive Chairman Designate of the insurance claims company Quindell Plc.
John Roberts
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
John Roberts is a founding Director and established the business of the Group in 2000. Having previously worked extensively in the kitchen appliance industry, he has been instrumental in using the internet as a platform to change the way in which kitchen appliances are sold in the United Kingdom. Since co-founding the Group, John has presided over the evolution of the business and led the management team which has successfully developed and expanded the Group’s business during periods of challenging market conditions and with a limited capital base. He is from Bolton and is a passionate supporter of staff participation in local charitable causes.
Stephen Caunce
Chief Operating Officer
Prior to joining AO, Steve was Finance Director with Phones 4U Limited between 2001 and 2003 and held senior positions at Mytravel Plc and Preston North End Plc. He holds a degree in Mathematics and is an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.
Mark Higgins
Chief Financial Officer
Mark holds a degree in Mathematics and Accounting and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Prior to joining AO he was Head of Finance for Utilities at Enterprise Managed Services, having previously held various finance roles at the Caudwell Group.
Brian McBride
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
Brian is currently Chairman of ASOS plc and he is also a Senior Adviser with Scottish Equity Partners, a member of the UK Government’s Digital Advisory Board and a member of the Court (Governing Body) of the University of Glasgow. He was previously Managing Director of Amzon.co.uk and has previous experience as a Non-Executive Director at Celtic Football Club plc, SThree plc, Computacenter Plc, the BBC and the Advisory Board of Huawei UK. Brian holds a master’s degree in Economics, History and Politics.
Chris Hopkinson
Non-Executive Director
Following university, Chris joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot officer and worked as an analyst for Cazenove. Chris subsequently joined Mark II, a UK distributor of kitchen and bathroom products, in 1986. He holds a degree in Economics & Computer Science and a master’s degree in Logistics.
Marisa Cassoni
Non-Executive Director
Marisa is a qualified ICAEW chartered accountant and finance professional with 40 years of experience and was previously Finance Director of the UK Division of Prudential Group. Between 2001 and 2006, she was Finance Director of the Post Office (subsequently Royal Mail), and between 2006 and 2012, she was Finance Director of the John Lewis Partnership plc and its subsidiaries. Marisa was a Non-Executive Director of Partnership plc and has been a Non-Executive Director of GFI Group Inc since 2005 and a Non-Executive Director of Skipton Group since 2012. She was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Enterprise Inns Plc in April 2015 and the The People’s Operator Plc in October 2014. Marisa holds a degree in Physics from Imperial College London and is an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. Marisa also sits on the Economics Affairs Committee of the CBI and is a panel member of the Competition and Markets Authority.
Rudolf Lamprecht
Independent Non-Executive Director
In 2009, Rudi founded East-West-Connect GmbH & Co.KG and occupies the roles of both President and Chief Executive Officer. He is also currently a Non-Executive Director of Duagon AG and Fujitsu Technology Solutions (Holding) B.V. and was previously a Non-Executive Director of BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH & Co. KG, Osram Licht AG and Safe ID Solutions AG. Rudi worked for Hewlett Packard in various positions in Europe and the United States for approximately 20 years. Rudi holds a degree in Computer Science and has studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the European Institute for Business Administration and Stanford University.