From CIO to CEO: Lynda Petherick gears up to take on the top job at UK fashion retailer New Look
New Look has announced the appointment of Lynda Petherick as Chief Executive Officer. She will succeed Helen Connolly, who will remain with the business until 21st September to support an orderly transition. Petherick joined the fashion retailer in 2024 as Chief Information Officer, leading the business’s digital transformation, and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2025.
Prior to that, she was Managing Director at Accenture, where she led its retail and fashion advisory business in the UK and Ireland. She also served on the board of the British Fashion Council from November 2022 to January 2026, where she led sustainability initiatives including the launch of the Circular Fashion Innovation Network.
Mike Coupe, Chairman at New Look, comments: “New Look is in a stronger position than it has been for many years. The strength of our FY 2026 outturn, together with our first quarter performance, positive customer response to our product and the continued growth of Club New Look, demonstrates the momentum across the business. These achievements reflect the hard work and dedication of colleagues across New Look, the strength of our leadership team and the discipline with which the business has executed its strategy.”
“The board is delighted to appoint Lynda as Chief Executive. She combines strong commercial judgement and operational discipline with a deep understanding of our customers, our brand and the role that data and technology will play in our future. As COO she knows the business extremely well, has already made a significant impact and has a clear vision for its next phase.”
He adds: “I would like to thank Helen for her commitment and leadership over the past six years. She has led the business with energy and determination and will continue to work closely with Lynda and the board to ensure a smooth transition. With Lynda as Chief Executive, a strong platform in place and clear momentum in our customer proposition, New Look is well positioned to build on its progress and realise the significant opportunity ahead.”
Petherick says: “New Look is a fantastic brand, with a clear position in the market, millions of loyal customers and talented colleagues who care passionately about its success. Over the past two years, we have made significant progress in strengthening the business and becoming a faster, more data-led and customer-focused organisation. The encouraging response to our recent product and collections, the growth of Club New Look and the launch of Pulse give us a powerful platform from which to deepen customer relationships and make better commercial decisions.”
“It is a privilege to be appointed Chief Executive. I am excited about what New Look can achieve and look forward to working with our brilliant teams to build on the strong progress already made and deliver the next phase of sustainable, profitable growth.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Fashion 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.
