Ocado Retail has named Hannah Gibson as its new chief executive, replacing Mel Smith. 

Hannah Gibson, Ocado Retail CEO

Hannah Gibson has been with Ocado Group for more than a decade

Gibson has spent more than 10 years at Ocado Group where she currently serves as chief product officer for Ocado Technology. 

Prior to the formation of Ocado Retail – the joint venture with Marks & Spencer – in 2019, Gibson headed up the online grocer’s rapid delivery business Ocado Zoom, which she steered from concept to launch within two years.

Before joining Ocado, Gibson spent time as a policy adviser to 10 Downing Street and was a consultant at Boston Consulting Group. 

Gibson will officially take up her new role on September 20. 

Details of her appointment come two months after Smith revealed she was stepping down “to move on to new challenges”. 

Smith led Ocado Retail for three years including during the pandemic.

Her departure at the end of August brought the curtain down on a five-year association with M&S – the business she joined as strategy director in 2017.

Ocado Retail chair Tim Steiner said: “Ocado Retail has big ambitions and, with its foundations now firmly in place, is well-prepared for faster growth in the years to come. I am confident that Hannah is the right leader to deliver on these ambitions, while also being able to navigate the near-term challenges associated with the macroeconomic environment.

“At Ocado Group, we have consistently benefited from her outstanding leadership and laser focus on the customer proposition and I have no doubt that this will continue.”

Gibson said: “I am thrilled to be returning to Ocado Retail at this stage in its growth journey and privileged to serve our customers. I look forward to working more closely with the teams across Ocado Retail, Ocado Group and M&S to meet the market challenges of today and to further strengthen our leading online grocery proposition.” 

M&S boss Stuart Machin added: “Hannah combines a clear passion for product and customer with an exceptional working knowledge of Ocado’s proprietary technology. This experience makes her the ideal candidate to unlock the huge potential that remains in our joint venture and lead our partnership into the next phase of growth.”

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