Arcadia makes three senior hires in digital push

Arcadia has made three senior appointments to its digital team, including a new chief digital officer, chief information officer, and director of digital and retail technology, as the group looks to accelerate its digital growth strategy.

Firstly, Rafaele Petruzzo has been appointed to the newly created role of group chief digital officer, having previously held senior roles at Nets Group, as chief transformation officer, as well as at Tesco and Barclays.

Next, Karl De Bruijn is joining Arcadia as chief information officer, having worked most recently as Primark where he was IT transformation director between 2016 and 2019, and has previously held senior positions at Cath Kidston and Specsavers.

Finally, Simon Pakenham-Walsh has joined the group as its new director of digital and retail technology, reporting directly to De Bruijn. Pakenham-Walsh joins from Sainsbury’s where he was technology director in the supermarket’s digital and technology division since 2015. He has also previously held senior digital positions at both Sky and Royal Mail Group.

Commenting on their appointments in a statement, Arcadia CEO Ian Grabiner, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Rafa, Karl and Simon to the group as we continue to drive forward our digital ambitions and boost our sales from online channels; a core pillar of our growth strategy. They are all extremely experienced in their fields and I am confident they will add significant value to the group.

“Through a combination of improved customer insight and data, alongside enhanced site functionality and more efficient marketing spend, we are confident that Arcadia can create an even stronger bond between our brands and our customers, delivering uniquely personal shopping experiences.”

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