Mothercare appoints non-exec chairman

Parker, who is also a non-exec at Kesa Electricals, was chief executive of Whitbread until last year.

He starts on August 15, taking over from Ian Peacock who is stepping down after nine years in the role.

Peacock will remain on the board as non-executive director until the end of October.

Mothercare chief executive Ben Gordon said: “We are thrilled that Alan is joining the board. He brings with him extensive international experience in franchising and in building consumer facing brands. Alan’s expertise and guidance will be invaluable as we continue on the next phase of Mothercare’s development.

Parker said: “Mothercare is a great company poised for future global expansion. I look forward to working with the management team to realign the UK business and grow our brands internationally to deliver increased shareholder value.”