Kingfisher appoints Michael Loeve as Chief Executive, B&Q UK & Ireland

Kingfisher plc is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Loeve as CEO of B&Q UK & Ireland. He will join the business in September. Michael is an experienced retailer, with 12 years’ experience in senior roles across retail operations, supply chain, IT and strategy. He has a strong track record of leading successful business transformation, through focusing on customer needs whilst remaining close to the operations.

Michael joins B&Q from Coop Danmark, Denmark’s leading retailer with around 1,200 stores, where he is Group Retail Director. In his current role he is responsible for five retail formats, including Irma, Kvickly and Fakta, where he has unlocked performance by running the business in a more unified way across multiple formats. He was previously Managing Director of SuperBrugsen, part of Coop Danmark and one of the largest retail chains in the country with 250 stores.

Commenting on the appointment Véronique Laury, Chief Executive Officer of Kingfisher, said: “As we announced as part of our strategic update in March, we are moving at pace with our ‘One’ Kingfisher plan to create a single, unified company where customer needs come first. I am delighted to welcome Michael to Kingfisher. He is an experienced retailer who will form an important part of the new diverse international team we are putting together at Kingfisher. I look forward to working with him.”

Michael Loeve said: “I am delighted to be joining Kingfisher at such an exciting time in its development. Home improvement is a great market with huge potential and B&Q has a strong position within it, however there is more that we can do to maximise its strengths. With a better and more unique offer at good prices where customer needs come first, all backed by the scale of a unified Kingfisher, we will transform and grow B&Q, helping our customers to have better homes and better lives.”

Michael will report to Guy Colleau, Operations Director, Big Box.

Michael Loeve, 41, was born in Denmark and grew up in Denmark, the United States and Belgium.

Key career dates:

2014- present Coop Danmark, Group Retail Director

2011-2014 SuperBrugsen, Managing Director (part of Coop Denmark)

2009-2011 Copenhagen Airports, Vice President, Operations.

2001-2009 Coop Danmark, various senior roles, including Supply Chain Director

Source : Kingfisher Press release
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