Mothercare chairman takes role at Dignity

Funeral provider Dignity has appointed Clive Whiley, chairman of retailer Mothercare, as a non-executive director and chairman.

Whiley has more than 35 years experience in regulated strategic management positions.

He has main board executive director experience across a range of financial services, engineering, manufacturing, distribution, retail and leisure businesses.

David Blackwood, interim chairman, said: “I am delighted that Clive will be joining the board of Dignity as chairman. His significant commercial, business and board experience together with his personal qualities will be invaluable.”

Whiley, who takes over from Peter Hindley who left in June, said: “I am pleased to have been invited to become chairman of Dignity, one of the UK’s leading and most respected organisations in the funeral sector and a business with an undoubted heritage.

”I greatly value the support already shown to me by key shareholders and I am looking forward to working with the executive team to ensure that we are fully prepared, armed with the learnings from the CMA review, to deliver a successful plan to improve performance on behalf of all of Dignity’s stakeholders.”

In July, Dignity reported a 61% drop in pre-tax profits as the number of deaths remained at a lower-than-expected level.

There were 24,000 fewer deaths than a year earlier which had a big impact on the financial performance of the Sutton Coldfield-based company.

Dignity is one of the UK’s largest funeral providers, managing around one in eight of all funeral services.

The number of deaths nationally was down 7% while Dignity’s revenues fell 12%, to £153.3m.

The funeral sector has been affected by increased competition and lower prices in the last two years.

Separately, the Competition and Markets Authority is investigating the funerals and crematoria sector – a move that was welcomed by Dignity – examining how customers are treated at a time when they are vulnerable to anti-competitive practices.

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