Joining Dobbies from his role as CFO of Cancer Research UK, Wass brings more than 20 years’ experience from across some of the biggest names in British retail. He is a former Chief Financial Officer at Boots UK; Commercial Finance Director at Sainsbury’s; Finance Director at Morrisons; and Head of Business Accounting at Asda.

The appointment follows the recent announcement of Andy Hannan joining Dobbies as Commercial Director to deliver the garden centre group’s new commercial strategy. Wass will be tasked with setting the strategic direction of Dobbies’ financial operations, bringing his extensive experience from other retailers to the role. Iain Scott has held the CFO position on an interim basis since September 2023.

David Robinson, CEO of Dobbies, said: “Our senior leadership team has been strengthened in recent months, and with Jonathan joining us we are moving in a really positive direction. There are few CFOs with more retail experience and expertise than Jonathan and I’m looking forward to working closely with him to realise the potential of our brand and deliver continuous improvement across our business.”

He added: “A huge thank you to Iain for all his hard work since joining us on an interim basis in September last year. In his time with us he’s made a significant contribution to the financial direction of the business, for which we are incredibly grateful.”

Jonathan Wass, CFO at Dobbies, added: “Dobbies is an exciting prospect for me. It’s a strong business with a focused brand purpose and excellent potential for growth. I love the brand and as a keen gardener, I’m a regular visitor. I’m really looking forward to getting to know our customers and, of course, our colleagues.”

Dobbies has 77 stores across the UK, employs 3,800 people and has welcomed over 30 million customers in the year-to-date.