Global fashion retailer Primark hired Nigel Jones as its COO to help oversee its supply chain, according to a July 15 emailed press release.
“This is a new role with oversight for three major business functions; technology, supply chain and logistics, and business transformation,” a Primark spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive in an email. “Nigel’s areas of responsibility specifically within supply chain include logistics, depots, import and export, including global freight and customs.”
Prior to his new role, Jones was responsible for hospitality multinational Whitbread’s supply chain as group operations and transformation director. Before that, Jones worked for 25 years at U.K.-based Tesco where he held multiple senior roles, including in supply chain and procurement, per the release.
Primark has been working on expanding and strengthening its supply chain. In February, the Ireland-based retailer opened its second distribution center in the U.S., in Jacksonville, Florida.
The retailer’s supply chain is also undergoing a sustainability push. By 2030, Primark’s goal is to make all its clothes from recycled or “more sustainably sourced materials,” as well as to halve carbon emissions across the value chain and pursue a living wage for supply chain workers, the release said.
Among highlights from 2022 and 2023, Primark listed the launch of its Circular Product Standard to emphasize recycling, as well as the rollout of TrusTrace, a traceability and compliance platform also used by Adidas, Asics and other companies.
“Nigel joins us with a wealth of experience of running international operations of significant scale across multiple markets including the UK, Europe, and Southeast Asia. With Primark now established in 17 markets we stand to gain significantly from Nigel’s global expertise,” Primark CEO Paul Marchant said in the press release.
