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Halfords has appointed Simon Wherry as delivery director for the group, who will join the senior leadership team and oversee the group’s IT function.
Wherry joins the high street car and cycle retailer from management consultancy firm CapGemini, where he was programme director working in the defence manufacturing sector.
He also has experience with a number of major retailers, including B&Q owner Kingfisher, Screwfix, Castorama, Brico Depot and Woolworths.
Whilst at Kingfisher, he was responsible for the major multi-year programme to deploy common ways of working underpinned by a unified technology stack across the group. In a consulting capacity, he has also previously held roles at BP Convenience Retail (US) and Smyths Toys.
Neil Holden, chief information officer at Halfords said: “We are delighted to have Simon on board at an exciting time for the group. Simon brings invaluable experience in change management and technology at a time when Halfords is undergoing a transformation to a more Services focused business, underpinned by technology and our Avayler platform.”
Halfords said Wherry will focus on the technology, data, and innovation aspects of the group, as he leads all technology-related protects, as well as engineering capability.
This will include Value Stream (Agile) delivery, the Agile Centre of Excellence and the Business Analysis function for Halfords.
Halfords currently owns more than 400 Halfords stores across the UK, serving 24 million customers per year.
The group also owns three performance cycling stores, trading as Tredz and Giant, as well as more than 600 car garages and 230 mobile service vans.
Halfords previously owned the Boardman Performance Centre in Evesham, along with the Cycle Republic high street cycle chain, which it opted to close to focus on the motoring side of the business.
Read more: ZyroFisher announces new partnership with Huffy Bikes
The group recently sold its wind tunnel facility to British Cycling for £1, with the equipment now relocated to British Cycling HQ in Manchester.
