Paul Hornby departs online retailer The Very Group and Digital Customer Experience Director position
Paul Hornby has left The Very Group after spending just under four years in the role of Digital Customer Experience Director.
He joined the multi-brand online retailer and financial services provider in January 2021, reporting to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Andy Burton.
Hornby, who previously held roles including Head of E-commerce and Head of Transformation at The Very Group, rejoined from Matalan, where he was E-commerce Director for three years.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Over almost four years, we have achieved a huge amount together; most notably leading one of the biggest composable migrations in Europe, with the creation of our Skyscape platform.”
“I promised myself when I came back that I’d spend three great years here and then embark upon a new challenge, so now that I’ve broken that promise by a year, we have achieved our goal of migrating Very.co.uk’s upper-funnel pre-peak, have signed a deal with Apply Digital which will see them complete the programme by the end of this FY, and successfully navigated pre-build with Apply Digital, it feels right to step aside and let the right people focus on the final leg of delivery.”
He added: “I’m extremely proud of the energy and resilience we’ve shown to get us to this stage, and firmly believe this effort puts the business on firm technology foundations that will provide a platform for the next phase of business growth - an amazing legacy for the team.”
“Not many people get the chance to call The Very Group home, so it’s been a real honour and a privilege to get the opportunity to do that twice. I’ve been extremely proud to lead the DCX team during this latest stint, and we have delivered some genuinely amazing stuff for the business and our customers.”
“Even though I’ll be watching from a distance, rest assured I’ll be keeping a keen eye on the progress you make over the next few months, and wish you all every success. Thank you to everyone, both colleagues and partners for your support during my time with the business, and I want to wish you all the very best both personally and for your future careers.”
Hornby said that he plans to have a break until the New Year, and will then look for his next career challenge.
2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS
Online retail is a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which are now closed for entries.
The awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Key 2024 dates
Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline
Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed
30th October-6th November: Judging days
Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.
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