Halfords chief finance officer to join easyJet
THE FINANCE chief of Halfords is getting off his bike at the retailer and hopping on a plane instead, after agreeing to take up the same role at easyJet, the companies said yesterday.
Andrew Findlay will join the budget airline at the end of October, replacing Chris Kennedy who announced that he was leaving for UK chip designer ARM at the start of the year.
His departure marks the second high profile exit from the FTSE 250 bikes-to-car parts retailer this year after Tesco poached chief executive Matt Davies to lead its UK business.
Davies will hand over the reins in May to McDonald’s UK chief executive Jill McDonald. Meanwhile Halfords said the search for Findlay’s successor was underway.
Findlay said: “I have greatly enjoyed my time with Halfords and I am exceptionally proud of the progress the business has made over the last few years. I am sad to be leaving, but the opportunity to join easyJet was too attractive to turn down.”
Findlay joined Halfords in 2011 while Davies joined the following year. Together the pair helped turnaround the troubled chain and revive sales by expanding its presence in the cycle market, training staff and improving customer service.
Before taking on the role at Halfords, Findlay was director of finance, tax and treasury at Marks & Spencer and has also held senior finance posts at the London Stock Exchange and Cable & Wireless.
“Andrew is a great fit for easyJet and I am sure he will add a lot of value to the airline,” easyJet chief executive Carolyn McCall said. “He is a proven FTSE 250 CFO with great consumer experience and a strong focus on cost. He is part of the leadership team at Halfords which has created a much more customer-centric and profitable business.”