Move of the Week: COO invaluable to Asos' global ambitions

Unusually for a Plc, Asos has been without a COO since former incumbent Nick Beighton was promoted to chief executive in 2015.

But this has had no discernible negative impact on operations and between them, Beighton and Holland have built global capabilities which mean almost two-thirds of Asos’s sales are now generated overseas.

Holland is a logistics man through and through having previously been supply chain director at House of Fraser for five years and before that had nine years as Matalan’s logistics director.

His deep understanding of how supply chains work was informed by his early career working in chilled food manufacturing where efficient, just-in-time delivery is essential.

With Brexit threatening to disrupt supply chains, Holland’s logistical know-how and understanding of the macroeconomic environment in which Asos operates will be critical to minimising the risk of disruption to its business model.

“Beighton speaks the truth when he says Holland’s skills will be invaluable in positioning the business for future growth”

During six years at Asos, Holland has been credited with driving some pioneering initiatives in online fulfilment. He helped automate the etailer’s logistics infrastructure and introduced a midnight cutoff for its next-day delivery proposition – a first for a UK retailer. Customers in selected London, Leeds and Manchester postcodes, meanwhile, now have the option of same-day delivery.

Global development is a key priority for Asos and in his new role, Holland will be charged with leading some significant transformation projects including the launch and automation of Asos’s warehouse in Atlanta and further automation at its Berlin fulfilment centre.

Getting the operational side of the business right is critical to any online retailer and Beighton speaks the truth when he says Holland’s skills will be invaluable in positioning the business for future growth.

As the jobs market winds down for a few weeks over Christmas, my Move of the Week column will be taking a short break. I’d like to wish Retail Week’s readers a happy and restful Christmas, a successful golden quarter and best wishes for 2019. I sense it’s going to be another busy year.