David Thatcher appointed group CEO of Direct Wines
Direct Wines has announced that David Thatcher will take over as group chief executive when Simon McMurtrie steps down on 19 January. Thatcher joined the Direct Wines group in April 2014 as UK managing director.
Thatcher has more than 30 years' commercial experience in media and retail, including working at a senior level at Sky, Virgin Media, and as CEO of TalkTalk.
Tony Laithwaite, founder and president of Direct Wines Group, said: "David made an immediate and very positive impact on the business, and has quickly convinced us that he is capable of stepping up to the group CEO role. He understands both our culture and our business model, and I am confident his customer-centered approach and his appetite for innovation and operational excellence will serve us very well.
"I'd like to thank Simon for his outstanding contribution to the business. He has led Direct Wines extremely successfully for a sustained period. We are very grateful for that, and for his assistance in achieving a smooth leadership transition, including agreeing to continue to support us by bringing a number of strategic initiatives to a successful conclusion during the first half of 2015."