Matalan hires ex-Estée Lauder exec to lead people & talent amid reshuffle

Matalan has bolstered its senior leadership team with the appointment of Beccy Davies as Director of People & Talent, a newly created role that underscores the retailer’s focus on transformation.

Announcing her appointment, Matalan issued a statement that read: "We are delighted to announce the appointment of Beccy Davies, who joined the Matalan People Team this month in the new role of Director of People and Talent."

Davies joins the business after nearly two years at Exertis UK, where she served as Head of HR and led the people strategy for 1,200 colleagues across one of the country’s largest technology distribution groups. During her tenure, she shaped the HR function, built an Employee Relations Centre of Excellence and championed the company’s DE&I programme.

Before Exertis, Davies spent more than eight years with The Estée Lauder Companies in a series of senior HR leadership roles. Most recently, she was Director, HRBP for Corporate Functions across the UK & Ireland. Her earlier career includes senior HR roles at Sofology as well as roles at DWF and more.

Davies appointment is the latest move in a broader strategic overhaul at Matalan, recently strengthened with several key hires to its senior leadership.

Henrik Nordvall, the former Managing Director of H&M for the UK and Ireland, will join Matalan as its new CEO in February 2026.

Jo Bennett also joins as Director of Buying & Design, bringing expertise from Tu Clothing and John Lewis, where she led the womenswear and accessories division.

Meanwhile, Jon Williams takes on the newly created role of Director of Trading, Planning, and Merchandising, leveraging over 20 years of experience at John Lewis, Tesco, and Primark.

Eilidh MacAskill steps in as Director of Marketing, bringing senior-level experience across fashion journalism and retail, including tenures at Ocado, Asda, and Monsoon Accessorize.

Andreas Nicolaides was also named as Director of Digital, tasked with accelerating the company’s omnichannel strategy.