Former B&Q marketing director Stephen Robertson, most recently marketing director at Woolworths, has been named director-general of the British Retail Consortium.

As reported earlier by Retail Week, Robertson will take the reins at the organisation on February 1, replacing incumbent Kevin Hawkins as the collective voice of the UK stores industry.

Hawkins, who became director-general in 2004, is widely credited with reinvigorating the BRC and has lobbied hard on issues such as interest rates, red tape and retail crime.

Robertson is expected to continue to campaign on established priorities and is likely to further bolster the organisation’s reputation and influence. His hands-on retail experience will give him a keen understanding of the industry’s priorities, while his marketing background will enable him to communicate the BRC’s standpoint effectively.

BRC chairman Sir Geoff Mulcahy said: "We are delighted that someone of Stephen's calibre is joining the BRC. His range of high-level experience will help us to promote the interests of retailers in the challenging times ahead.

"On behalf of British retailing I would like to thank Kevin Hawkins for leading the BRC so successfully over the last three and a half years, a period of accelerating change for the industry."

Robertson was appointed following a search by headhunter Odgers Ray & Berndtson.

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