Jo Whitfield (above) has been appointed as the new chair of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), succeeding Andy Higginson.
Whitfield, who will take over from Higginson when his tenure ends on 2 October, is the trade association’s first female chair.
She brings 25 years of experience in retail, including leadership roles at Matalan, the Co-operative Group and Asda.
She currently serves as a non-executive and audit chair at Asda. She served as Matalan CEO from March 2023 to October 2024, after working as its head of finance/financial controller from 2002 to 2008.
She was also Co-op’s chief executive (food) from March 2017 to September 2022.
The exec worked at Asda from January 2014 until April 2016, serving as its vice president (George operations, e-commerce and strategy), before moving to become its vice president (Asda general merchandise, Asda money and Asda mobile).
Additionally, she worked as finance and global commercial director for George @ Asda from July 2008 to February 2012, before being promoted to become its vice president for operations, international and strategy in January 2012.
“I’m honoured to be joining the BRC as its first female chair, and to be supporting (CEO) Helen (Dickinson) and her team at such a pivotal time,” she said.
“Retail is an incredibly valuable industry, employing over 3 million people who support their families through their work.
“It’s also uniquely inclusive and many of us have built our careers from the shop floor or from working-class backgrounds, rising into leadership roles and enjoying fulfilling careers.”
She continued: “Retailers are at the heart of communities, and we’re acutely aware of the many government policies currently under consideration that could either support or hinder our industry.
“This is a critical moment for us all and now more than ever, we need a strong, united voice. I look forward to working closely with Helen and the team to ensure the interests of our industry are championed and protected.”
Ebay UK vice president and general manager Eve Williams is also set to join as a non-executive director on the BRC board.
Williams held executive marketing and customer roles across Ebay and Asos, before being appointed to her current position in 2023.
“Retailers are currently navigating a truly unprecedented pace of change. I have experienced first-hand the importance of the BRC’s work and the strength of its diverse membership to make a positive difference amidst this backdrop,” she said.
“The challenges of sustainability, digital transformation, and creating fair opportunity across the industry are all passion points for me and areas where the BRC has achieved much already – I’m energised to be working with the board on these areas and more as the team continues to influence impactful change.”
