Dixons Carphone has hired its first-ever consumer finance director as it presses ahead with plans to grow its credit business, Retail Week can reveal.

The electricals giant has poached Shawbrook Bank’s managing director for consumer finance Evelyn Hamilton to take on the role.

Hamilton, who previously held senior roles at Lloyds Banking Group and Santander, will be charged with leading the growth of Dixons Carphone’s consumer finance business.

She will report into chief customer officer Antreas Athanassopoulos.

The appointment comes as a key part of new chief executive Alex Baldock’s four-point strategy to reboot the business. One of those pillars centred on signing a new agreement to extend its credit proposition with partner BNP Paribas.

Baldock told Retail Week when he unveiled his new strategy last December: “This is the largest and fastest growing service in the business.”

Hamilton, who will take up the role on March 4, said: “I am delighted to join Dixons Carphone at such a key point in the delivery of the company’s strategy.

“We have a great opportunity to expand the financial services offering across the organisation and I’m very much looking forward to working with the rest of the team to deliver this.”

Athanassopoulos added: “The wealth of expertise that Evelyn brings will drive forward our credit propositions and be instrumental in going after this profitable growth opportunity for our colleagues, customers and shareholders.”