Dixons head defects to Apple
Dixons chief executive John Browett has announced he is to quit the High Street technology retailer he has led since 2007 to take charge of Apple’s burgeoning retail empire.
Browett, 48, will assume responsibility for devising Apple’s retail strategy and overseeing the firms expansion when he departs Dixons on April 20.
Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, said: "Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else we’ve met.
"We are thrilled to have him join our team and bring his incredible retail experience to Apple.”
Dixon’s operations director Sebastian James has been appointed to fill Browett’s shoes at the British retailer, which also runs Curry's and PC World.
A writer in The Wall Street Journal commented sniffily that the choice was " something of a gamble for the U.S. electronics giant as it seeks to expand its retail network.
. . . In picking the CEO of a small, struggling European retail chain, Apple has deviated from its usual practice of filling positions with trusted insiders."
Browett, replaces Ron Johnson, creator of the iconic Apple stores ,who is now running US department store chain J.C. Penney.
Executive search firm Egon Zehnder is understood to have worked with Apple to help fill the post.
Browett headed Tesco's online operations before joining Dixons, one of Europe's top electronics retailers. He was previously an adviser on retail and consumer goods at Boston Consulting Group .
He led a transformation of Dixons' fortunes through store revamps and service improvements "amid severe headwinds caused by the economic downturn" said the WSJ .