House of Fraser names Alex Williamson as CEO

House of Fraser has appointed Goodwood chief executive Alex Williamson as its new CEO; he will join the department store group at the end of July.

Williamson has been CEO of the Goodwood sporting venue since 2012, having joined in 2008. His track record in creating compelling customer experiences positioned him well to take on House of Fraser, whose new strategy focuses on brand differentiation and experiential retail, said executive chairman Frank Slevin.

"Having recently set out our vision for the future of House of Fraser, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Alex Williamson as our new CEO. Alex is uniquely placed to execute our vision, and to contribute his extensive expertise of delivering compelling and engaging experiences for the customer," Slevin said.

"Over the last two years, we have built a very strong management team, with particular expertise across the key disciplines in retail. This has enabled us to make an appointment that is a clear statement of the direction we intend to take, placing the customer at the centre of our business," he added.

Williamson replaces Nigel Oddy who announced his departure at the end of last year. Oddy had been CEO since 2015 (having joined the company in 2008) taking over from former long-standing CEO John King. King had stood down after the business was acquired by Nanjing Cenbest, a subsidiary of Chinese group Sanpower, in 2014.

Prior to joining Woodward as CFO in 2008, Williamson had been head of finance for TUI Travel and has held a number of positions across the leisure and hospitality industries. "I have had the most extraordinary nine years at Goodwood working with Lord March and the team on a broad range of projects," he said.

"I am very pleased to be taking on this role at such a pivotal time for House of Fraser, another great premium British brand. I am looking forward to working with Frank and the strong management team to bring to bear House of Fraser‘s engaging and innovative vision," Williamson added.

Image: Tom Campbell