Matt Grest swaps BBC for The Very Group and CIO role

The Very Group has hired Matt Grest as Chief Information Officer (CIO).

He will become part of the retailer’s executive board and report to CEO, Henry Birch.

Formerly known as Shop Direct, the Group owns Very and Littlewoods.

Grest will join on 21st December from the BBC, where he led a 400-strong team of technologists as Director of Digital Platforms.

This year we opened Skygate, our state of the art fulfilment centre in the East Midlands. It enables us to serve our customers even better, and means we can be more efficient and automated with every order. 📦
Watch the full film: https://t.co/vimNBcVQLa 🎞️#jointhereinvention pic.twitter.com/wWSmsaZB7Z
— The Very Group (@TheVeryGroup) November 3, 2020

Prior to that, he was at Sky, where as Digital Platform Director he was responsible for IT delivery and transformation across the company, including for Sky Sports, Sky News and Sky.com. He also led the creation of the company’s digital hub in Leeds.

Also of interest: The Very Group CTO Andy Burton set to depart as retailer returns to profit

Birch says: “Technology and data underpin everything we do, including the digital journey that keeps our customers coming back to Very. Matt is a talented technologist and leader, with a track record for driving strong performance through tech and new ways of working.”

“Under his stewardship, I am confident we will continue to deliver the platforms we need to support our ambitions and make changes to the customer experience faster than ever before.”

Grest comments: “The Very Group has a history of reinvention powered by technology and this is an exciting time to be joining the business.”

“With more people shopping online than ever before and continued appetite for flexible ways to pay, providing the best possible experience – powered by technology and data – has never been more important. I can’t wait to get started.”