Baby retailer Mothercare has named Simon Calver, currently the head of Lovefilm, as its new CEO.
Mothercare’s been on the hunt for a new chief exec since October, when Ben Gordon, who’d been in the post nine years, resigned after a profit warning led to share prices falling by more than a third.
The move could be seen as an attempt by the struggling baby retailer to boost its online operations.
Calver has worked as a consultant on brands like Unilever, Pepsi and Dell, before founding online video rental company Video Island, taking it through a merger with Lovefilm and then selling the business to Amazon in 2011.
Calver’s experience at Lovefilm in particular suggests Mothercare has its sights set firmly on expanding and improving its online offering.
His appointment follows the departure of Ben Gordon, the long-standing chief executive, last October after a series of profit warnings.
Alan Parker, the former chief executive of Whitbread and Mothercare’s non-executive chairman, has been standing in as chief executive. He will resume his role as chairman when Mr Calver arrives at Mothercare.
Parker said in a statement: “[Mr Calver’s] e-commerce and brand expertise will enable Mothercare to accelerate its development as a multi-channel retailer in the UK and his international perspective will be invaluable to the continued rapid expansion of Mothercare and Early Learning Centre globally.”
