Halfords appoints Virgin Active exec as CFO

Motor accessories and leisure goods retailer Halfords has appointed Jo Hartley as its new chief financial officer, succeeding Loraine Woodhouse.

The Redditch-based company said Hartley will join the business in mid-April 2022, replacing Woodhouse, who has announced her intention to retire from a full-time plc role.

Woodhouse will remain with the business and in post until the FY22 preliminary results in June next year.

Hartley joins Halfords from Virgin Active, where she has been group CFO since 2015. She began her career at Deloitte UK, before moving to Tesco in 1999. At Tesco, she took on a number of roles, including finance director for convenience stores, operations and then property for Tesco UK, before spending time as CFO of Tesco Poland and latterly leading the finance function for Tesco UK as interim finance director.

Keith Williams, chairman of Halfords, said: “On behalf of the board, I am delighted to be welcoming someone of Jo’s calibre to Halfords. Her experience and expertise will be invaluable as we look to build on the strong momentum within the business, while also navigating our way through the current challenges and uncertainties of the wider trading environment. I would also like to express the board’s thanks to Loraine for her commitment, professionalism and dedication to Halfords during her time at the group; I’m sure she will do well as she pursues a non-executive career.”

Hartley said: “Halfords is a great business with a strong brand proposition and I am excited about the prospect of helping the Group achieve its ambitious plans in the strategically important areas of motoring services, digital and B2B. I am looking forward to getting started and to working with the team on the many initiatives that are currently underway across the business.”