Jo Witfield has 25 years’ experience in retail, including leadership roles at Matalan, the Co-operative Group and Asda. She is currently a Non-Executive and Audit Chair at Asda and a Non-Executive and Chair of Ethics Committee at Factory International, host of the Manchester International Festival. Whitfield previously founded and chaired The Grocery Girls network and was an Advisor and Retail Sector Lead on the Women’s Business Council. She also played a leading industry role campaigning alongside the BRC to achieve better safety recognition and a change to the law to protect retail shop workers.
“I’m honoured to be joining the British Retail Consortium (BRC) as its first female Chair, and to be supporting Helen (Dickinson, CEO) and her team at such a pivotal time. Retail is an incredibly valuable industry, employing over 3 million people who support their families through their work. It’s also uniquely inclusive and many of us have built our careers from the shop floor or from working-class backgrounds, rising into leadership roles and enjoying fulfilling careers,” said Jo Whitfield, BRC Chair-elect. “Retailers are at the heart of communities, and we’re acutely aware of the many government policies currently under consideration that could either support or hinder our industry. This is a critical moment for us all and now more than ever, we need a strong, united voice.”
Whitfield will be joined by Eve Williams, as a new Non-Executive Director on the BRC Board. Williams is VP and General Manager of eBay UK. She has held executive marketing and customer roles in both eBay and at ASOS, before being appointed VP & General Manager of the UK eBay business in 2023. She has previously served on the Boards of the eBay Foundation and as a committee member of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA).
The BRC is the trade association for UK retail with over 200 retailers and brands in membership and thousands of smaller retailers represented through trade association members. The retail industry is the country’s largest private sector employer with 3 million direct jobs and 2.7m more in the supply chain. The BRC’s mission is to make a positive difference to retail, its customers and the community, today and in the future.
Eve Williams, BRC Non-Executive Director, said: “Retailers are currently navigating a truly unprecedented pace of change. I have experienced first-hand the importance of the BRC’s work and the strength of its diverse membership to make a positive difference amidst this backdrop. The challenges of sustainability, digital transformation, and creating fair opportunity across the industry are all passion points for me and areas where the BRC has achieved much already – I’m energised to be working with the Board on these areas and more as the team continues to influence impactful change.”
The outgoing Chair, Andy Higgingson added: “The last few years have been a challenging time for retail where the importance of the BRC has never been greater. As Chair, it’s been a privilege to work with the team as the BRC continued to support the industry with influence, insight, horizon scanning and help in navigating the tsunami of policy changes. I am delighted that Jo and Eve have agreed to join the Board and wish them every success in their new roles.”
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the BRC, said: “Jo and Eve join the Board as we deal with multiple public policy headwinds and more to do on big issues like climate change, inclusion, and creating the right environment for growth and investment. I know how passionate they both are on these areas and particularly on people so it’s great to welcome two more women to our Board and our first female Chair.”
