Wilko appoints first female CFO

Budget retailer Wilko has appointed Karen Mackay as it news chief financial officer and executive board director.

Mackay joins Nottinghamshire-based Wilko from from Optegra International where she has been group chief financial officer for the last five years.

She will be in charge of Wilko’s finance, IT, corporate services, health & safety and loss prevention functions. She is wilko’s first permanent female CFO and the first permanent female holding board director from outside of the Wilkinson family.

Lisa Wilkinson, wilko family director, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Karen. She strengthens our senior team with not just financial leadership but a proven track record in delivering significant strategic change both within and outside a family business context.”

Mackay said: “My family and my home are extremely important to me and as a family-owned business that’s been meeting customers’ home and garden needs for 90 years, I couldn’t be in better company at wilko.”

Jerome Saint-Marc, CEO, said “I’m looking forward to working with Karen. We are excited about the next stage of our journey to free up hard working families to be the best they can be. Despite a challenging backdrop we’re focused on driving growth through building on our heritage, the strength of the wilko brand and the popularity of wilko own brand products.”

Mackay replaces Alex Russo, who announced he was joining B&M in March.