Primark names Nigel Jones Chief Operating Officer
Highstreet retailer Primark has today announced the appointment of Nigel Jones to Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Jones will have global responsibility for the Technology function, Supply Chain & Logistics and the Business Transformation function.
Nigel Jones joins from Whitbread, a multinational hospitality business where he spent seven years as Group Operations and Transformation Director. Before this, he worked at Tesco for over 25 years. At the supermarket chain, Jones started his career as a Store Manager and held several senior roles across stores, technology, supply chain and procurement.
Paul Marchant, CEO at Primark, said: "Nigel joins us with a wealth of experience in running international operations of significant scale across multiple markets including the UK, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
"With Primark now established in 17 markets, we stand to gain significantly from Nigel’s global expertise across the key areas of Transformation, Technology, Supply Chain & Logistics. I am thrilled to welcome Nigel to Primark and look forward to working with him."
Nigel Jones added: "It’s hugely exciting for me to join such a recognised global retailer. I’ve always been struck by the continual growth of Primark and the influence it holds as a leader in the industry. I’m looking forward to leading a dynamic team to help the business achieve its future growth ambitions."
The news comes as the retailer takes on its ambitious growth plans to expand across "new and existing markets". Its aim? To reach 530 stores by 2026. Last month, Primark announced plans to invest €40 million in Portugal as part of its expansion plans.
In April, the owner of Primark revealed that its half-year earnings soared by more than a third as it rolled out the retailer's Click + Collect service across all its stores in England, Wales and Scotland.
The company's pre-tax profit hit £881 million in the six months to March, up 37% compared with the same period last year. Group revenues ticked up 5% at constant currency to £9.7 billion, driven by demand across its retail and food businesses.
