ProCook names former Walmart Canada boss Lee Tappenden as chief executive

Tappenden will take over from Daniel O’Neill after he announced plans to step down from his role earlier this year.

O’Neill will continue to be part of the board, transitioning to a non-executive director role “with a particular focus on his passion for continually improving the product range”, ProCook said.

Tappenden was most recently president and chief executive of Walmart Canada and has worked with Walmart Stores and Asda for 25 years in various roles including merchandising and operations and chief operations officer.

ProCook chair Greg Hodder said: “I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Lee as our new CEO. With his extensive leadership, retail and consumer background, his experience will be invaluable in leading ProCook through its next stage of development as we grow the business.”

O’Neill added: “I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished with the business over the last 27 years, now is the right time for me to hand over the reins to a new CEO. Lee brings with him a passion for what we have already created and is excited about the opportunity to lead ProCook on the next stage of its journey.

“His extensive experience in retailing, specifically in a direct-to-consumer environment and in delivering growth, made Lee the perfect choice. I very much look forward to working with him and remain fully committed to supporting ProCook’s continued growth and performance.”

Tappenden said: “I am very excited to be joining the business at this stage; still in its infancy as a listed company and with considerable potential for sustainable, long-term growth. Whilst we are operating in difficult macroeconomic conditions, substantial work has been done by the existing team to ensure ProCook emerges stronger, and I look forward to building on this excellent platform.”