2nd Apr 2008 09:05
Kingfisher PLC02 April 2008 EMBARGOED UNTIL 0830 HOURS Wednesday 2 April 2008 Kingfisher plc appoints Euan Sutherland as Chief Executive of UK Division Kingfisher plc, Europe's leading international home improvement retailer, todayannounces the appointment of Euan Sutherland as Chief Executive of its UKDivision, which comprises B&Q in the UK and Ireland, Screwfix and Trade Depot.Mr Sutherland, 39, is currently Chief Executive of AS Watson Health and BeautyUK, owner of the Superdrug and Savers retail businesses. He will take up hisrole in the next few months. Mr Sutherland has 15 years experience in retailing and fast-moving consumergoods. Having started his career at Boots as a graduate trainee buyer he movedinto the FMCG sector spending four years in marketing roles at MarsConfectionery and Coca Cola. He joined the Dixons Stores Group in 1998 and heldseveral senior buying and marketing roles including Marketing Director ofCurrys. After three years he moved to Matalan as Retail and Marketing Directorbefore joining AS Watson, part of the Hutchison Whampoa group. In 2006 he waspromoted from his position as Managing Director of Superdrug to his current roleas overall Chief Executive of the AS Watson's UK division responsible for over1,100 Superdrug and Savers stores with sales of £1.6 billion and 19,000 staff. At Kingfisher, Mr Sutherland will be responsible for the UK Division, one of thethree newly formed divisions announced last week, reporting to Ian Cheshire,Group Chief Executive. Under this new management structure Mr Sutherland willassume day to day responsibility for B&Q, as Chief Executive, with the ManagingDirectors of Screwfix and Trade Depot also reporting directly to him. His rolewill have a seat on the newly created Kingfisher Retail Board, chaired by IanCheshire. Commenting on the appointment Ian Cheshire said: "I believe there is hugepotential yet to be un-locked at Kingfisher by changing how the Group ismanaged, tightening our use of capital and driving out higher cash returns fromour businesses. This appointment is a key step along the way and I am delightedthat Euan has agreed to join us. He is an experienced hands-on operator with aproven track record in leadership roles at some of the UK's biggest retailersand his appointment will strengthen our team." Euan Sutherland said: "I am very excited to be running Kingfisher's UK Division,working with some of the best people and the best brands in UK retail. It'sclear to me that there is much more potential to come from the ongoing programmeof renewal at B&Q, as well as capitalising on the fast growing trade business.I'm looking forward to working with the UK teams, my new colleagues on theRetail Board and Ian Cheshire to help deliver a step change in Kingfisher'svalue for its shareholders." Enquiries: Kingfisher Ian Harding, Group Communications Director 020 7644 1029 Nigel Cope, Head of Communications 020 7644 1030 Sarah Gerrand, Head of Investor Relations 020 7644 1032 The Maitland Consultancy Philip Gawith 020 7379 5151 Further copies of this announcement can be downloaded from www.kingfisher.com orby application to: The Company Secretary, Kingfisher plc, 3 Sheldon Square,London, W2 6PX. Company Profile Kingfisher plc is Europe's leading home improvement retail group and the thirdlargest in the world, with 780 stores in nine countries in Europe and Asia. Itsmain retail brands are B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot and Screwfix. Kingfisheralso has a 21% interest in, and strategic alliance with, Hornbach, Germany'sleading large format DIY retailer, with over 120 stores in Germany and eightother European countries. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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