The overhaul at Dixons Carphone continues with the promotion of Mark Allsop to Chief Operating Officer and the appointment of Ed Connolly as Chief Commercial Officer.
Allsop was recruited by the company late last year to head up a new consolidated technology that brought together IT, eCommerce, data management and security teams.
He was previously Chief Digital Marketing and Information Officer at Merlin Entertainment, and is credited with the creation of ‘Merlin Digital’. This brand brought together the eCommerce and digital customer experiences for Merlin properties, including Alton Towers, London Eye and Madame Tussauds.
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Dixons Carphone management
Under his new remit, Allsop will also be responsible for physical stores and contact centres as part of the wider omnichannel experience. He will take up his new role in May and current COO Alan Ritchie will leave the business in June after 11 years of service.
Separately, Ed Connolly has been hired as Chief commercial Officer, replacing Steve Ager who has taken up a position outside the company. Connolly is currently at John Lewis Partnership and will be tasked with the continuation of Dixons Carphone’s commercial transformation.
“I am delighted to welcome Ed to Dixons Carphone as Chief Commercial Officer,” said Dixons Carphone CEO Alex Baldock. “Ed is a forward-thinking and innovative leader who is focused on building strong, customer-obsessed and highly commercial teams. I am also pleased to be bringing our stores, contact centres and online business together under Mark Allsop’s leadership in his role as Chief Operating Officer. This will enable us to become truly omnichannel and deliver a seamlessly integrated store and digital experience.
“I would like to thank Steve and Alan for their important contributions to Dixons Carphone over many years. We look forward to building on their hard work and successes as we continue with the transformation of the business in our vision to help everyone enjoy amazing technology.”
Dixons Carphone is the UK’s largest mobile phone retailer but has struggled to cope with changing consumer habits. A saturated market and longer refresh cycles are lowering contract renewal rates, making SIM-Only tariffs and SIM-free handsets more popular, squeezing margins.
Baldock is currently leading a transformation of the business, expressing a desire to “reset” Dixons Carphone’s relationship with operators so they are more sustainable and believes that combined with plans to improve its technology, train staff and offer credit services, the firm can revitalise its mobile business and drive online sales.
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