Joules names former John Lewis director as CEO
Most recently, Brown was CEO of Compare the Market and he previously held senior positions at Aviva, Kingfisher, and John Lewis
Joules has announced the appointment of Jonathon Brown as the group’s new CEO following a thorough selection process, joining as CEO designate on 7 September and becoming CEO on 30 September.
Most recently, Brown was CEO of Compare the Market, part of BGL Group, where he led the business through a “successful” period of strategic transformation and growth.
Previously, Brown has held senior positions at Aviva, where he was head of e-channels, Kingfisher, where he was director of multichannel, and John Lewis, where he was omnichannel director.
Additionally, he was previously CEO of MandM Direct, where he executed a “successful” turnaround plan, and COO of Photobox Group, where he led the strategic, commercial, and organisational transformation of the group, working across the brand portfolio including PhotoBox and Moonpig.
He started his career in various marketing and digital roles, including at Schroders, British Airways and Coca-Cola.
The announcement follows the news in May 2022 that Nick Jones would be stepping down from the role of CEO during 2022.
Brown said: “I am delighted to have been selected to lead Joules at such an important time in its development. Joules is a very strong brand, with a highly relevant purpose and product proposition. The group’s digitalisation in recent years as well as its increased customer base mean it has very solid foundations for the future.
“Whilst there have been some headwinds in the past year, I am very excited by the business’ future opportunities. The group is making strong progress against its clear plans to improve profitability by simplifying the business and optimising the cost base.”
Ian Filby, non-executive chairman of Joules, added: “The board was in unanimous agreement that, amongst some very high calibre candidates, Jonathan was the standout choice to be our new CEO. He has significant experience across the retail and digital industries, a proven track-record of delivering business transformation.
“I would again like to place on record the group’s thanks to Nick for his contributions during his time with Joules, and in particular his continued outstanding commitment and drive over recent months.”
