Boohoo appoints Alistair McGeorge as independent non-executive director

Boohoo has appointed Alistair McGeorge to the company’s board as an independent non-executive director, with effect from March 31, 2023.

McGeorge, the company said in a statement, succeeds Brian Small as the group's deputy chairman and will act as interim chair of the audit committee. McGeorge is also a member of the remuneration, nomination, risk and ESG committees.

McGeorge is currently the non-executive chairman of East Imperial plc and The Original Factory Shop, as well as chair of The Retail Trust, which provides support to retail employees. He has worked within the retail industry over the last 30 years and has been CEO and/or chairman of multiple retail brands in the UK and internationally. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Commenting on the board changes, Mahmud Kamani, the company’s group executive chairman, said: "Alistair has extensive board-level experience with some great retail brands. We look forward to working with him and are confident that he will help us deliver our ambition to be the global fashion leader. Brian departs with my significant thanks for his positive contribution over the last four years on the board, initially as audit chair and then as deputy chair from December 2019.”

In addition, the company added, with effect from March 31, 2023, Neil Catto stepped down as executive director after nearly 12 years with the group, the majority of which was spent as chief financial officer.

“Neil has been with the group for 12 years and is held in the highest regard for his substantial contribution. He has been instrumental in building the group from a one-brand-business and into a multi-brand platform," Kamani added.

The company further said that McGeorge was a director of Top Gun Realisations 73 plc and Top Gun Realisations 74 plc when they entered creditors voluntary liquidations in August 2019. Both companies were dissolved in September 2020, with a shortfall to creditors of 184.6 million pounds and 308.9 million pounds respectively. He was also a director of Top Gun Realisations Limited when it entered administration in May 2019, and was dissolved in September 2020 with 580 million pounds owed to creditors via a guarantor arrangement.

He was also a director of New Look Retailers Limited when it entered into a CVA in March 2018. This was completed and terminated in September 2020 with no payments to creditors. A second CVA, which remains ongoing, was launched in September 2020, which was within 12 months of McGeorge’s resignation as a director.