Apple nabs Dixons chief to head up retail stores

Apple has poached Dixons chief executive John Browett to head up its global retail strategy and expansion.

The company announced the identity of its new senior vice president of retail on Monday. Browett, who has been Dixons chief since 2007 and was head of Tesco.com before that, will report directly to Apple chief Tim Cook.

"Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else we've met," Cook said in an Apple statement. "We are thrilled to have him join our team and bring his incredible retail experience to Apple."

Browett will step down from the Dixons board on 20 February and, after a two-month handover period, move to Apple on 20 April. His replacement at Dixons Retail, which operates the Currys and PC World brands in the UK, will be current Dixons group operations director Sebastian James.

At the same time, Dixons Retail will get its first chief executive for the UK and Ireland, in the form of current Dixons e-commerce operations chief Katie Bickerstaffe.

"Dixons Retail is a great business, and with the support of a very strong management team we have made excellent progress in transforming the group into the leading customer focused specialist electrical retailer in its markets," Browett said in a Dixons Retail statement. "The opportunity ahead of me is an exciting one and I leave knowing that the group has a bright future under strong leadership."