Jo Whitfield has been appointed as the first female Chair of the British Retail Consortium (BRC). She will take over from former Morrisons Chairman Andy Higginson, when his tenure at the industry trade body comes to an end on 2nd October.
Whitfield has 25 years of experience in retail, including recent Chief Executive roles at Matalan and Co-op Food, as well as leadership positions spanning nearly 10 years at Asda, until 2016.
Six months ago, she was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Asda to support Allan Leighton’s turnaround programme.
Whitfield will be joined by Eve Williams as a new Non-Executive Director on the BRC Board. Williams is VP and General Manager of eBay UK. She has held executive marketing and customer roles in both eBay and at ASOS, before being appointed VP & General Manager of the UK eBay business in 2023.
The BRC represents over 200 retailers and brands in membership, and thousands of smaller retailers are represented through trade association members.
“I’m honoured to be joining the BRC as its first female Chair, and to be supporting Helen Dickinson [CEO] and her team at such a pivotal time,” said Whitfield.
“Retail is an incredibly valuable industry, employing over 3 million people who support their families through their work. It’s also uniquely inclusive, and many of us have built our careers from the shop floor or from working-class backgrounds, rising into leadership roles and enjoying fulfilling careers.
“Retailers are at the heart of communities, and we’re acutely aware of the many government policies currently under consideration that could either support or hinder our industry. This is a critical moment for us all, and now more than ever, we need a strong, united voice. I look forward to working closely with Helen and the team to ensure the interests of our industry are championed and protected.”
Dickinson added: “Jo and Eve join the Board as we deal with multiple public policy headwinds and more to do on big issues like climate change, inclusion, and creating the right environment for growth and investment. I know how passionate they both are in these areas, and particularly in people, so it’s great to welcome two more women to our Board and our first female Chair.
“It has been a pleasure working with Andy, and I would like to thank him for his pragmatic, down-to-earth advice, leadership and support over the past two and a half years. We are a stronger organisation for it.”
