It has been a turbulent few years for John Browett since taking over the reins as Dixons’ chief executive in 2007. No sooner was he poached from Tesco – where he was in charge of building the supermarket’s fast-growing online business– than the recession hit and Browett was faced with a battle to secure the survival of Britain's biggest electricals retailer. In 2009 after unveiling its worst trading performance since the recession of the 1990s, Browett introduced a turnaround plan which involved improving weak customer service, revamping stores, boosting the group's web operations and cutting costs.
Four years later, Browett’s efforts have paid-off and the programme is largely in place; however the Cambridge zoology graduate will not be staying to see whether the group can rebuild profits. The married father of three, who previously worked as an adviser on retail and consumer goods at Boston Consulting Group before joining Tesco, is packing his bags for California where his extensive retail experience is being called upon.
