Senior leaders on the move – Bupa Global, David Lloyd Clubs, Huws Gray, Morrisons, and NatWest Group
It's been a busy time here at Suzie Walker Executive Search, with several new senior leaders starting new roles on the same day this month, and we have spotted some brilliant moves in the wider industry, too.
As Suzie said in our recent market update, we have seen a steady increase in the number of roles coming through, particularly in private equity-backed companies, combined with a decreasing number of people coming on to the market. So, although it still remains a highly competitive market, there is a good pipeline of senior marketing and digital roles coming through.
We're delighted to congratulate the following senior leaders on their new roles.
Phil Geary, Group Marketing Director, Huws Gray
Congratulations to Phil Geary who joins Huws Gray – the largest independent Builders Merchant in the UK – as Group Marketing Director. Phil is a highly experienced senior marketing leader, known for his ability to develop and execute multi-channel strategies at pace in competitive EMEA markets.
Previous roles include Group Marketing & e-Commerce Director at Vax; Chief Marketing & Digital Officer at ScS; Chief Executive Officer – Digital at Lloyds Pharmacy; Chief Marketing Officer EMEA at The Entertainer; Marketing & E-commerce Director at Bounty UK; and Group Marketing Director (Europe) at Holland & Barrett.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-geary-a72ab414
Rachael Brown, Head of Marketing, UK, Bupa Global
Rachael Brown joins Bupa Global – the leading international private healthcare company – as Head of Marketing, UK. Rachael is a global marketing leader with proven experience in driving multi-million-pound business profitability within varied business maturities.
Prior to joining Bupa Global, Rachael spent more than 13 years at Dyson, including the Marketing Director role, leading the marketing strategies and team for Dyson across Great Britain and Ireland.
When announcing her new role on LinkedIn, Rachael said, "In just four weeks, I've experienced the remarkable purpose-driven culture at Bupa Global. Joining a team committed to driving transformation in the health and well-being landscape is truly inspiring. I look forward to spearheading marketing strategies that empower customers towards healthier, happier lives.”
Suzie was delighted to welcome Rachael as a guest for our Q&A series, where Rachael shared her brilliant marketing and career insights and experiences. You can enjoy it in full, here: https://suziewalkerexecutivesearch.co.uk/content/rachael-brown-marketing-director
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-brown-1a903513a
Claire Cronin, Chief Marketing Officer, David Lloyd Clubs
David Lloyd Clubs – Europe’s largest health and fitness group – has appointed Claire Cronin as Chief Marketing Officer. Claire is a board-level commercial marketer with more than 20 years’ international experience across the sports, hospitality and financial services sectors.
Previous roles include Chief Marketing Officer at Chelsea Football Club; Chief Marketing Officer at McLaren Racing; SVP Marketing & Chief Marketing Officer at Virgin Atlantic; along with senior leadership roles at Virgin Holidays, Barclaycard, NetJets and Barclays.
On LinkedIn, Claire said, "Delighted to join David Lloyd Clubs as their Chief Marketing Officer - & what an incredible first week!
Started at the Hatfield HQ where we celebrated the milestone of achieving 800,000 members & securing accreditation in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers.
Spent the next 2 days at Bushey - our Club of the Year - being shown the ropes by General Manager, Grant Sanders & his fabulous team.
Before rounding out the week with a trip to Northwood with Mia Manson-Bishop where she put me through my product paces with a personal Pilates Reformer class. General Manager, Matt Lunn, also gave me a tour of their newly opened Padel Courts & breathtakingly beautiful Spa Garden.
Over the weekend, I popped into my hometown Ringwood Club which is part-way through a stunning £3m transformation which will see the Club Room, Gym Floor, Changing Rooms, Indoor & Outdoor Pools & Reception getting a revamp with a new studio being added for Reformer Pilates.
I’ve never had a better incentive to get fit!"
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-cronin-84690bb
Alex Paver, Customer Strategy and Planning Director, Morrisons
Congratulations to Alex Paver who joins Morrisons as Customer Strategy and Planning Director after more than 13 years at Asda. Alex is an impactful and results-orientated leader with extensive experience of driving high-visibility, customer-centric strategies and propositions that grow sales, market share, and customer loyalty.
During her tenure at Asda, Alex’s roles included the Senior Director, Customer Insight, Strategy, Proposition and Planning role.
Morrisons was delighted to welcome Alex, sharing a warm welcome on LinkedIn, "We’re excited to welcome Alex Paver to Morrisons as our new Customer Strategy and Planning Director.
Alex joins us with extensive retail experience, having led teams across Customer Strategy, Insight, Proposition, Planning, Pricing and Promotions. Most recently, she was Customer Director at Asda, where she was responsible for Customer Insight, Strategy and Planning.
She brings a proven track record of shaping customer strategies that deliver real value and drive growth; and as a self-confessed foodie, she’s looking forward to getting stuck in and helping to shape Morrisons’ customer proposition for the future."
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexpaver
Georgina White, Director of Insight, NatWest Group
Georgina White joins NatWest Group, serving over 19 million customers across retail, commercial and private banking, as Director of Insight. Georgina is a customer strategy and insight leader with more than 20 years’ experience empowering FTSE, private equity-backed and multinational businesses to unlock growth through deep customer understanding.
Prior to joining NatWest Group, Georgina was Chief Customer Office at Holland & Barrett. Previous roles also include Group Insight Director at BT; Marketing Insight Director at Centrica; Head of Insight at British Gas; Head of Customer Insight at Capital One; and Head of Product Development at Merrill Lynch. Georgina is also a Non-Executive Director at the Market Research Society (MRS) - the UK’s professional body for research, insight and analytics, providing oversight of strategic direction, standards and regulations for this £9bn sector.
When announcing her new role, Georgina said, "I’m thrilled to be starting a new chapter at NatWest Group, joining a team committed to putting customers at the heart of everything we do and driving real, measurable value.
Looking forward to working with brilliant people on bold ambitions — motivated by the opportunity to create lasting impact.
Here’s to fresh challenges, smart collaboration, and getting stuck in."
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgina-h-white
If you feel ready to move towards the next stage in your career, or if you’re hiring for your team, please get in touch or connect with us/send a message on LinkedIn.
Suzie Walker Executive Search is a firm of specialist headhunters with an expert team recruiting interim and permanent senior leaders for B2C and B2B marketing, digital and technology roles in FTSE 350 and private equity-backed companies. Find out how we can support you by connecting with a Consultant below.
If you’re ready to make your next move, we regularly post new opportunities on our LinkedIn company page. If you apply for a role on the platform, it requires a 1st connection for us to respond, so please make sure to connect with Suzie Walker. Our company page is also frequently updated with the latest hiring news, expert interviews, and candidate guidance, so well worth following.
