Despite jumping from phones to fashion Wendy Becker’s wealth of experience in her varied career should stand her in good stead to take on the newly-created role of chief operating officer at apparel brand Jack Wills which she takes up next month.

Formerly the group chief marketing officer at Vodafone from 2009 to 2011, Becker was hired to straighten out the telecomms company’s marketing strategy which involved helping to iron out the confused global brand image, according to those within the marketing industry.

She headed up Vodafone’s largest marketing revamp for four years launching a new tagline, sponsorship strategy and app store as the mobile phone retailer looked to position itself at the forefront of the consumer transition to smartphones.

But just a year after joining, a restructure of the management team made her position obsolete and she left the business shortly after.

Despite this set back she has been described as dynamic, strong and independent by observers.

A source who has worked with Wendy told Retail Week: “Wendy is bright and personable and will do good things for [Jack Wills] and its owners.”

Her business knowledge is extensive. Before Vodafone, Becker was managing director of Talk Talk, a subsidiary of mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse, and prior to this she was a partner at management consultants McKinsey & Company.

She already has a keen focus on retail, and is currently a non-executive director at online grocer Ocado as well as Whitbread, which owns brands such as Premier Inn and Costa Coffee.

At Jack Wills she will have to get used to a much more private company compared with Vodafone, but one whose marketing campaigns are integral to its brand.

Jack Wills encourages a very direct relationship with its customers, keeping its distance from traditional advertising and using social networking and event sponsoring instead.

However, it does not always get it right. The brand got into hot water with the Advertising Standards Agency last year when four of the images in its spring catalogue received complaints. One image depicted a soaking wet woman wearing just a pair of knickers embracing a man wearing just a pair of jeans.

Becker will be tasked with ensuring the company is protected from such public exposure while pushing the brand as the go-to-place for trendy aspirational teens.

And with observers speculating that an IPO is on the cards, Jack Wills could become the go-to-place for investors too.