Dixons Carphone has poached Bunnings UK and Ireland head of IT transformation Henrietta Baring, Retail Week can reveal.

Baring was responsible for steering the digital transformation of Homebase when the DIY retailer was acquired by Bunnings-owner Wesfarmers last year.

She has exited the firm’s fledgling UK arm after 18 months to join Dixons Carphone in a new IT director role overseeing products and application development. 

Prior to joining Homebase Bunnings in April 2016, Baring worked for Argos as head of IT, commercial, trading and supply chain.

Last month, Wesfarmers said Bunnings UK and Ireland sales had been hammered by a disappointing first-quarter performance in its remaining Homebase stores. 

The firm is in the process of winding down the 244-store Homebase business and converting a large number of the stores into its Bunnings Warehouse format.

It anticipates having between 15 and 20 Bunnings stores open by the end of 2017.