Next CEO steps down from Deliveroo board

The CEO of fashion retailer Next has announced he will be stepping down from his role on the board of food delivery company Deliveroo.

In a release, Simon Wolfson, who has served on Deliveroo’s board for 18 months, said: “After much consideration, and with regret, I believe that the time required to continue in my role at Deliveroo is no longer compatible with my executive and other commitments.”

Wolfson continued to add that he enjoyed his time at the company and wished the team “all the best for the future”.

According to the company’s chair, Claudia Arney, Wolfon played a key role in supporting Deliveroo in its first year as a public company, adding that his experience helped it to “navigate an unprecedented trading environment”.

It comes as Deliveroo reported that its pre-tax losses were growing amid cutbacks in consumer spending, with the company also announcing plans to cease its operations in the Netherlands.

Additionally, the news closely follows the launch of an investigation into Next by HM Revenue & Customs (HRMC) after recent payroll blunders left thousands of the retailer’s staff underpaid.

Issues arose at the start of 2022, when Next sought to replace its in-house payroll system with that of Oracles, with reports at the time stating that many of its employees were subject to substantial financial difficulties due to the setbacks.