Sainsbury's CRTO Clodagh Moriarty gears up to take on CEO role at UK homewares retailer Dunelm

Dunelm Group has announced the appointment of Clodagh ("Clo") Moriarty as Chief Executive Officer, with effect from 1st October.

She will succeed Nick Wilkinson who has informed the board of his intention to retire from Dunelm and full-time executive life, following seven years in the role. He will continue in his role until Moriarty's appointment and will step down from the board at the end of September, before leaving the business in early October.

Moriarty is currently the Chief Retail and Technology Officer at Sainsbury's. As a member of the operating board, she holds responsibility for all stores and their operations, alongside Sainsbury's digital offer and strategy, customer experience and end to end technology platforms.

She has been with the business for 15 years, holding a variety of leadership roles, having previously worked for nine years at Bain & Company.

Alison Brittain, Chair at Dunelm, says: "We are thrilled to be appointing Clo as our new CEO. She is a proven industry leader and brings an impressive range of skills and experience from one of the UK's largest retailers, where she has played a prominent role in developing the Sainsbury's offer to drive market share gains over a number of years."

"Clo was the standout candidate from a strong field, and we are delighted that we have been able to attract such a talented and high calibre executive. As Nick hands on the baton, we are confident that her blend of retail, digital and strategic expertise will be a significant asset as we move into our next phase of growth as The Home of Homes."

Moriarty says: "Dunelm is a fantastic business which I have followed and admired for many years, so to be joining as CEO is a real privilege. Our homes play a central part in our lives and Dunelm has a very special role in helping customers to create a space which is truly their own."

"Even from the outside, its values, purpose and culture are plain to see, which is credit to the thousands of committed colleagues across the business. Nick and the team have done an incredible job growing the business, its channels and its capabilities over recent years in service of Dunelm's customers. We have an amazing platform to build from, and I can't wait to get started."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.