New Corporate Affairs boss at HRG

Chris Wermann has been named Home Retail Group’s new Director of Corporate Affairs.

He will join the Argos and Homebase owner in February 2011 from cereal maker Kellogg’s, where he has been Director of Communications for the last six years.

In this newly created role Wermann will report directly to Group Human Resources Director David Guise and hold responsibility for an in-house team of 12.

The new recruit will also manage Home Retail Group’s external PR agencies, including Finsbury, Iris PR and the Republic of Ireland-based Wilson Hartnell PR.

Wermann has been appointed to fill the gap left by Steve O’Brien, who is set to leave the retailer and go travelling at the end of this calendar year after six and a half years with the business.

Back in October Home Retail Group reported first-half profit before tax of £103 million, which was £13.8 million down on the same period last year.

Much of the profit decline was attributed to the performance of catalogue retailer Argos, with Group CEO Terry Duddy saying customers had experienced “greater pressure” due to the economic environment.

The retail boss added: “The group’s profit result was however supported by further excellent cost management, earnings per share were enhanced by the share buy-back programme and the interim dividend has been maintained.”

Source : Retail Gazette