Shaun Wills takes swipe at ‘mischievous’ press article as he kicks off CFO position at Poundland and Dealz
Shaun Wills has taken on the role of CFO at discount retailer Poundland and Dealz. He joins from De Beers Group, where he served as Chief Financial Officer - Brands and Consumer Markets. He has also worked at Superdry and M&S.
In a LinkedIn post, dated 19th July, he said: “I am delighted to confirm (given a slightly mischievous and misinformed press article got there before me) that today marks my first day as the new CFO of Poundland and Dealz. It's always been a company that I have admired for its relentless focus on the customer and providing outstanding value and I look forward to joining Barry Williams and his team and helping them to deliver growth and future success. Thank you to both Poundland and its owner Gordon Brothers for the opportunity.”
Wills did not reveal exactly what irked him about press coverage of his new job. It was covered earlier this month by the likes of The Grocer, Retail Week, and Fashion United.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Discount retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
