Home improvement retailer Wickes has announced the appointment of Steven Blair as its Chief Retail and Distribution Officer, effective from 10th March. The newly created role will report directly to David Wood, the group’s Chief Executive.
Blair joins from Tesco, where he had served as Strategy and Business Planning Director since 2023, following tenures as Business Support Director and Retail Director. Prior to that, he held operational leadership positions at B&Q and Tradepoint, having begun his career at Marks & Spencer.
Wood commented: “We are delighted that Steven is joining Wickes to lead our Retail and Distribution operations, at such an exciting time for the business. His extensive retail leadership experience, passion for the sector and deep expertise in managing operations will add tremendous value to our team.
“I’m very much looking forward to working with him as we focus on delivering continued growth, sustained market outperformance and most importantly help our customers feel house proud.”
Blair added: “I am delighted to be joining the executive team at such an exciting time for the company. By putting colleagues and customers at the heart of everything we do, I’m confident we can achieve great things together, and I can’t wait to get started to help deliver the growth strategy.”
Wickes saw a significant improvement in the performance of its core retail business during the third quarter of last year after benefitting from consumers catching up on outdoor projects delayed by the wet weather during the spring and early summer.
