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B&Q CEO Michael Loeve to step down

Published: 19 April 2017 - Jenny Wonnacott

The chief executive officer of Kingfisher retailer B&Q Michael Loeve will be stepping down from his role after two years.

Michael Loeve is leaving his role at B&Q to head up Netto International
Michael Loeve is leaving his role at B&Q to head up Netto International

He will reportedly remain in his position at B&Q for the next few weeks as a replacement is sought. Meanwhile, chief sales and retail operations officer at Kingfisher Jean-Paul Constant will take on some of Mr Loeve's workload and responsibilities in the weeks leading up to his departure.Mr Loeve has been running B&Q since 2015 and has decided to take a step back for “family reasons.” It is thought he will be returning to his home country of Denmark.

Mr Constant said: “We’d like to thank Michael for his energy, enthusiasm and leadership of B&Q, and for the key role he has played in the One Kingfisher transformation plan.”

It has since been revealed that Mr Loeve will take up the position of senior vice president at Netto International, a Danish supermarket with stores in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Poland. It's a return to food retailing for Mr Loeve, who was previously the head of the Danish Co-op before joining B&Q. 

Per Bank, the chief executive of Netto's owner Dansk Supermarked, said: "Michael’s track record speaks for itself. With the further experience, he has gained in recent years in the UK, I have no doubt that he is the right person to fulfil our ambitions for Netto across the countries.

“In addition, he is a modern leader and a thoroughly decent person characterized by sound values, all in keeping with how we want Dansk Supermarked to be as a company.”

Comments

15 October 2017 23:17:15
John Alexander
Almost eleven years at B&Q Livingston . The decision to close it was in my opinion corporate suicide. You don't close a business where the housing market is expanding rapidly. Thousands of new houses being built, therefore people moving house with the redecorating and kitchen, bathroom replacement that goes with it. .The next nearest store sited next to a dual carriageway at the end of a motorway. Seems ideal. If it wasn't gridlocked morning and night. This would have been obvious to anyone doing nothing more than opening their eyes. Homebase laughed all the way to the bank when B&Q moved in and a clause in their lease let them walk away. It can't be long till Bunnings realises central Scotland is crying out for a DIY Store.
17 August 2017 17:58:21
Ex employee

Having worked for B&Q for thirty years, I was sad to see the gradual and disturbing lack of commercial acumen regarding the merchandising of pick up lines in stores, largly in favour of clean lines,clear sterile foyers and aisiles. Was it a surprise that the number of items per transaction sold were gradually diminishing and consequently its negative impact on thier sales? - you didnt have to have look far to see that one coming!

In addition, Im not sure if any other CEO would see as an achievemnet,  the souring of the companys relationship with its employees ,after all Its not every day that you must accept dimunative terms and conditions or be dismissed!

What on the surface seemed like an upgrade in IT systems,manifested in my opinion, into issue driven, inferior and frustrating sales prevention tools.

Lets hope there is an overhall of more inclusive and colaborative thinking going forward, for the customer and shareholders sake.

 

26 May 2017 21:59:34
bq bob

To retail, you are wrong! Reducing the pay of the most experienced staff has led to them leaving to work elsewhere BQ has not done as well as it should have stores are struggling for recruit to replace all the experienced staff who have left profits are down sales are down staff moral is in the toilet shelves are empty as new staff don't know how to correct data Base. Shopfloor staff are the backbone of the company but have become unappreciated underpaid and are leaving in droves.

28 April 2017 10:17:20
Retail

His job is to make a business profitable and sustainable , not to make sure everyone gets time with their families , if he has enhanced profits and extended the sustainability of the business then he has done a good job . Unfortuneatly the days of a benevolnet business are far behind us, which is a shame but a reality for survival .

24 April 2017 17:33:23
Bq bob

He has slashed BQ employees salaries, removed our bonuses that were part of our contracts, removed our Sunday pay, reduced our bank holiday pay, removed the employment levels that we were encouraged to work extra for to enhance our pay. He has overseen changes to our employment that means 3 abscences in a year and you are sacked, seen us forced to work 2 Sundays and 3 Saturdays EVERY month so we get no time with our children, he has overseen our Sunday working hours being moved to a 6pm finish so we no longer get to eat with our families. A level 5 employee has seen their wages cut by over £2000 a year while he and his fellow directors saw their bonuses rise and pay packets into the millions. Will BQ employees miss him, NO! He has left to spend more time with his family after ruining the family life of thousands of low paid staff, he will no doubt leave with a golden handshake worth twenty years of a normal workers salary!


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