Online retail firm The Very Group has announced the appointment of Charlotte Heiss as Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, as well as the promotion of Sean Hallows to Chief Operating Officer.
Hallows, who was previously Operations Director, will take over the role at the Liverpool-headquartered group from Phil Hackney, who steps down in April after six year.
Charlotte Heiss will oversee corporate governance, as well as legal, risk and compliance issues at The Very Group, and report to group CEO Henry Birch. She previously spent 11 years at insurer RSA Group, where most recently she was also Group General Counsel. She has also spent time at Linklaters LLP.
Sean Hallows will also report to Birch and join the company executive team. He has been with The Very Group for six years, helping develop and launch its automated fulfilment centre Skygate alongside Phil Hackney. He has also been responsible for sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and supported The Very Group’s COVID response.
Henry Birch, Group CEO, said: “Attracting someone of Charlotte’s calibre to the role of general counsel is testament to the strength of our business and an important step in our continued development. She will play a vital role in reinforcing good governance and leading our business’ response on legal, regulatory and compliance matters.
“Sean is a hugely respected leader within our business and brings industry-leading experience, having launched and operated Skygate, one of the UK’s most advanced fulfilment centres. He has worked closely with Phil and is absolutely the right person to become our new chief operating officer as we continue to invest in the transformation of fulfilment, logistics and customer care.
“I want to say a massive thank you to Phil, who is responsible for some of the most successful and important developments in our business over the last decade. He is a dedicated, talented and universally respected leader, who leaves an exceptional legacy at The Very Group.”
