Wyevale director leaves after four months in the job

Lorrie Roberston has been appointed its new marketing director. She joins from Country Gardens, where she worked with Wyevale chief executive Nicholas Marshall.

Poll is the second member of Wyevale’s senior management to leave in recent months, after chairman Jim Hodkinson stepped down as executive chairman of the garden centre group in September.

Tycoon Tom Hunter, whose West Coast Capital investment business owns the retailer, replaced him in the role.

At the same time, Nicholas Marshall, previously chief executive of Country Homes & Gardens, assumed the same role at Wyevale. Andrew Livingston was promoted to chief operating officer in August.

Poll was poached from Homebase, where she was responsible for planning, development and execution of brand and customer communications.

At the time of appointment, Hodkinson said he wanted to beef up Wyevale's marketing and align the revamped e-commerce arm more closely with the stores business.

A Wyevale spokesman said: "By mutual agreement Deborah Poll has left the business to pursue new business interests and goes with Nicholas [Marshall]'s best wishes."

Poll has previously worked for Woolworths, Boots and Pretty Polly.