Kingfisher appoints Chief Information Officer

In his new role, Blatford will lead the development and delivery of Kingfisher’s technology strategy as part of the retailer’s ongoing digital transformation.

He is joined by RELX Elsevier, where he most recently served as Chief Technology Officer, leading a team of 800 engineers to create consumer-oriented digital products and design highly scalable open data platform architectures.

Prior to that, Blatford also held various technology roles at Thomson Reuters, including head of corporate technology, and was head of professional services for Europe at CPA Global.

JJ Van Oosten, Kingfisher’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer, said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Chris to the team. It will play a key role in helping us provide more speed and customer choice as we increase e-commerce sales and implement our Powered by Kingfisher strategy. His agile and product-led thinking will be a huge advantage. “

Blatchford added: “I am excited to join Kingfisher at this exciting stage in their journey to digital transformation. I was very impressed with what has been achieved in recent years, especially in e-commerce, and I look forward to working with the team to make the most of the great opportunities ahead. ”