House of Fraser names David Walmsley as Chief Customer Officer

British department store group House of Fraser has appointed David Walmsley as Chief Customer Officer. His start date at HoF has yet to be announced, but is set to be communicated in due course, according to the department store group.

Former Director for M&S Digital at Marks & Spencer, David brings over twenty years of retail and digital experience to his new role. As HoF Chief Customer Officer, Walmsley is set to over see the department store's customer-centric approach, providing a single vision across all of HoF's channels to market. In his new role, Walmsley will be reporting directly to CEO Nigel Oddy.

"We are delighted to announce the appointment of David as Chief Customer Officer," commented Nigel Oddy, House of Fraser CEO in a statement. "He has a wealth of experience in the retail and digital space, which will be invaluable as we continue to develop our leading multichannel proposition, both in the UK and internationally. He joins at a very exciting time for our business and we look forward to working with him."

Commenting on his appointment, David Walmsley added: "I'm really excited to be joining House of Fraser, the UK and Ireland’s premium department store group. Its multichannel offer is already second to none, placing the customer at the heart of its strategy and execution. I am looking forward to working with the team to further enhance and develop the Brand and online business, as well as continue to improve the customer’s journey, taking House of Fraser through its next stages of growth."

Walmsley first joined the team at M&S in 2011, from Dixons Retail Group, where he served as Director of eCommerce. Prior to joining Dixons, he was Head of Web Selling and Customer Services for John Lewis, responsible for its online business. During his tenure at John Lewis, Walmsley was credited with launching John Lewis Fashion online and developing its multichannel operations including next day Click and Collect.

Photo: David Walmsley, House of Fraser