ScS has named former Argos and Home Retail Group boss John Walden as its new chair.

John Walden

John Walden will succeed Alan Smith as chair next year

Walden will join the board of the furniture retailer next March, initially as a non-executive chair designate.

He will take over the role of chair on November 30, 2023, when Alan Smith retires.  

Walden, who has also held senior roles with Best Buy in the US, has been out of UK retail since leaving his roles as chair of Naked Wines and Holland & Barrett during the pandemic.

He was credited with the digital transformation of Argos from a catalogue business into a multichannel, digital-first operator, prior to its acquisition by Sainsbury’s in 2016. 

He currently serves as non-executive chair of Motorpoint and SnowFox Topco, the Guernsey-based company that owns Yo Sushi. 

Walden said: “I am pleased to be joining the board at ScS. The business is a leader in its sector and is operationally excellent with a strong balance sheet, solid board and leadership team, and an opportunity and plan for improvement and growth. I look forward to working with the ScS team.”

Smith added: “I am delighted that John is joining the ScS board and will, in time, succeed me as chair of the group. 

“He brings deep board-level expertise in both executive and non-executive capacities, has excellent consumer-driven and omnichannel experience, and has led transformational and digital change, both in the UK and US. John will be a great addition to the ScS team.”

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