Pets at Home Group has announced a number of changes to its board of directors.
The retailer has appointed Roger Burnley CBE as an independent non-executive director, with effect from February 14, 2023.
Burnley is an experienced retailer who spent 10 years as an executive director of Sainsbury’s before joining Asda as its chief operating officer in 2016, becoming its ceo in 2017. He left Asda in August 2021 and was appointed CBE in the 2022 New Year Honours list for services to the food supply chain. Earlier this year, he took on the position of non-executive chairman of Finnbrogue Artisan, an Irish food manufacturer.
On his appointment to the board, Burnley will be appointed as a member of the Audit and Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee, Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee and the ESG Committee.
Dennis Millard, who has served as Pets at Home’s senior independent director for nine years, will stand down from that position on February 14, 2023. The board has requested that he remains as a director of the company for a further year, although he will no longer be considered independent in accordance with the Corporate Governance Code.
In addition, Zarin Patel will be appointed as senior independent director with effect from February 14, 2023. She is the current chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and has been a non-executive director of the company since April 2021
Ian Burke, Chairman of Pets at Home, said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Roger Burnley CBE to Pets at Home Group plc. Roger has deep knowledge of the retail sector and food supply chains and his experience will be of great value to Pets at Home as it embarks on the next stage of its ambitious strategic plan. The directors and I look forward to working with Roger next year.”
In further changes, current chair of the Remuneration Committee Sharon Flood and non-executive director Stanislas Laurent have each notified their intention to step down from the company’s board. The retailer will start a search for their successors as well as continuing its search for a second non-executive director.
