A new phase for Kingfisher

Kingfisher boss Ian Cheshire has been highly regarded for his leadership qualities while steering the DIY giant though a painful downturn. Core to the retailer’s success has been his determination to recruit top talent to the Kingfisher team.

That drive to hire retail stars of the future is paying off, if its management reshuffle is anything to go by. Last week Kingfisher revealed it is to promote three of its well-respected top team.

Euan Sutherland moves up from Kingfisher UK and Ireland chief executive to Kingfisher chief operating officer, taking on group-wide responsibility for the DIY giant’s crucial common range programme. Sutherland will also assume responsibility for IT, property and HR.

At the same time, group finance director Kevin O’Byrne becomes Kingfisher divisional chief executive for the B&Q businesses in the UK and Ireland, China and the joint venture in Turkey.

Meanwhile Kingfisher France chief executive Philippe Tible will not only continue to lead the Castorama French and Spanish businesses, but also Poland and Russia, as he becomes Kingfisher divisional chief executive of Castorama and Brico Dépôt. 

The restructure wasn’t good news for everyone though. The role of Kingfisher international boss has been made redundant, and sadly the well thought of Peter Høgsted is to leave. However, the fact that Kingfisher feels it can do without Høgsted further demonstrates the quality of the Kingfisher management team.

The change means it becomes a more unified retail group. Cheshire is spearheading the retailer’s next phase of development, ‘Creating the Leader’. These changes are part of that strategy, as Kingfisher aims to accelerate the transformation “from our origins as a loose conglomerate into a unified home improvement retailer with a clear sense of purpose and ambition”.

The cerebral Cheshire makes it all sound incredibly simple. But maybe that’s the secret of his success.