The news today that KPMG’s Helen Dickinson has been appointed as the BRC’s new director-general will be met with surprise in some quarters – many had expected a retailer to fill the shoes of incumbent Stephen Robertson.

The news today that KPMG’s Helen Dickinson has been appointed as the BRC’s new director-general will be met with surprise in some quarters – many had expected a retailer to fill the shoes of incumbent Stephen Robertson.

But, her background as an adviser, with a holistic view of the sector, may be a key advantage as she seeks to unite the range of interests that make up the BRC membership.

Her tenure will be characterised by many of the same challenges faced by her predecessors – the economy, the burden of bureaucracy and, at times, a hostile media.

But she will also face a host of new issues as the retail landscape changes at an unprecedented rate, from the opportunities and threats posed by digital transformation to the complexities of a devolved UK.

Dickinson’s priority will be to build consensus quickly around these key touch points and cement the alliances with retailers, policy makers and the media to ensure she can effectively campaign for the sector’s best interests.

Well known thanks to her work on the BRC Retail Sales Monitor, her 20 years in the retail practice at KPMG will have given her exposure and access to a breadth of businesses, issues and personalities few can match.

Dickinson also has a powerful ally in Kingfisher boss Ian Cheshire, who will join as chairman. He is one of the most respected industry leaders and already plugged into Whitehall as a non-executive member at the Department for Work and Pensions.

Crucially, he is also the first acting chief executive to take up the role of BRC chairman, which will place the organisation at the heart of the network of chief executives Dickinson must win over and represent as a unified front.

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