The Dixons Carphone review continues with the promotion of Mark Allsop to Director of Operations and the appointment of Ed Connolly to Commercial Director. Allsop was recruited by the company late last year to lead an established new technology that brings together IT, e-commerce, data management and security teams. He was previously the Director of Digital Marketing and Information at Merlin Entertainment, and is credited with creating "Merlin Digital". This brand has gathered e-commerce and digital customer experiences for Merlin properties, notably Alton Towers, the London Eye and Madame Tussauds.
Dixons Carphone Management
As part of his new role, Allsop will also be responsible for physical stores and contact centers as part of a broader omnichannel experience. He will assume his new role in May and current COO Alan Ritchie will leave the company in June after 11 years of service. Additionally, Ed Connolly was hired as business manager, replacing Steve Ager, who took a position outside the company. Connolly is currently with the John Lewis Partnership and will be responsible for continuing Dixons Carphone's business transformation. "I am delighted to welcome Ed to Dixons Carphone as sales manager," said Dixons Carphone CEO Alex Baldock. “Ed is a forward-thinking and innovative leader who is focused on building strong, customer-obsessed, highly marketable teams. He is also pleased to bring together our stores, contact centers and online activities under the leadership of Mark Allsop in his role as Director of Operations. This will allow us to become truly omnichannel and offer a seamless store and digital experience. “I would like to thank Steve and Alan for their significant contributions to Dixons Carphone over the years. We look forward to continuing your hard work and success as we continue to transform business into our vision to help everyone take advantage of amazing technology. " Dixons Carphone is the UK's largest mobile phone retailer but is struggling to keep up with changing consumer habits. A saturated market and longer upgrade cycles reduce contract renewal rates, making making SIM-only tariffs and phones without a SIM card more popular, reducing margins Baldock is currently leading a business transformation, expressing a desire to "reset" Dixons Carphone's relationship with operators to make them more sustainable and believes that , combined with plans to improve its technology, train staff and offer credit services, the company can revitalize its mobile business and increase online sales.