B&M hires DFS finance head Schmidt as CFO

Discounter B&M has employed DFS CFO Schmidt to head finance (Paul Religion/PA) (PA Archive)

Price retailer B&M has poached Mike Schmidt the chief monetary officer of household furniture retailer DFS to head its very own finance group.

The former UBS and Citi senior govt will thrive team CFO Alex Russo who was appointed in late May well as CEO of the firm replacing sector titan B&M manager and co-founder Simon Arora.

Schmidt will also consider a board posture at B&M as an executive director and is expected to choose up the CFO submit by the starting of upcoming 12 months.

He stated: “I am psyched by the chance to sign up for B&M.  It is a company that has professional a period of time of fast progress about modern a long time and has a evidently outlined progress technique for the foreseeable future.  I am extremely a lot searching forward to contributing to its ongoing accomplishment.”

Peter Bamford, chairman of B&M, said: “I am delighted that Mike has agreed to sign up for B&M as team CFO.  His previous roles in the two retail and investment banking will convey worthwhile encounter and insight to the board along with the continuity supplied by Alex Russo’s appointment as foreseeable future CEO.”

DFS explained that Schmidt would remain at the enterprise as finance head to oversee the 12 months-conclusion benefits system and to be certain an “orderly transition”.

The enterprise mentioned that it would start out the look for for his successor immediately.

Tim Stacey, manager of DFS, explained: “Mike has been instrumental in the expansion of our business and supporting the board by means of the exterior troubles we have faced above the very last couple of a long time.”

The business claimed that Schmidt experienced been vital to steering it by means of the “impact of Covid-19”.

Nevertheless, final month DFS issued a income warning as the home furniture group struggled with source chain disruption and dwindling consumer demand from customers.

It mentioned it envisioned total-calendar year earnings to be £57 million to £62 million, down from earlier estimated revenues of £66 million to £76 million.