DFI Retail Group names new group chief executive as Ian McLeod steps down

DFI Retail Group has appointed Scott Price (pictured) as group chief executive with effect from 1 August. He will succeed Ian McLeod who has been the group chief executive since 2017 and will be stepping down.

McLeod will remain with the group until the beginning of August to ensure a smooth transition of the business to Price over the next few months. Price will relocate with his wife and be based in Hong Kong.

According to the release, Price is an experienced senior business executive with 25 years of international experience, of which 19 years was spent in Asia, spanning the retail, logistics and consumer packaged goods sectors.

Most recently, Price was the international president at UPS, and before that the company’s chief strategy and transformation officer. Prior to UPS, he was with Walmart, first as their CEO, Asia, and then as the EVP, global leverage, where he led global functions to drive synergies across Walmart’s four largest businesses – U.S., international, Sam’s Club and eCommerce.

Price was also president and CEO, at DHL Express in Europe and earlier, the CEO, Asia Pacific. He started his career with the Coca Cola Company and held country business positions in various locations across Asia. Price’s career has centred on leading comprehensive programmes to transform business growth, talent, and culture, resulting in significant enhancements to shareholder returns.

Commenting on the appointment, Ben Keswick, chairman of DFI Retail Group, said, “I am delighted to welcome Price to the group. Price has successfully led several large, multi-business organisations. He has the combination of strategic, execution and Asia expertise to oversee our portfolio of leading retail businesses across the region, building on our solid foundations to create long-term value. I wish him every success as our new group chief executive.”

“I would like to thank McLeod for his six years as group chief executive. At DFI, McLeod has led a comprehensive business transformation to strengthen our market leading positions, including with respect to customer and product propositions, core operating systems and processes, and supply chain,” Keswick added.

With McLeod’s leadership, DFI has responded to changing market needs for an integrated omnichannel customer experience with new store formats; the launch of Meadows with over 3,000 new items in three years; and via the launches of the yuu Rewards loyalty programme in Hong Kong and Singapore – which now has four million members in Hong Kong alone; and yuu-to-me, a one-stop online shopping experience in Hong Kong, said Keswick.

Meanwhile, Price said on his LinkedIn that he is excited about the new role. "Having spent many years in the retail and express delivery industries in Asia, I’m delighted to return to Hong Kong to lead one of the most prominent Pan-Asian retailers...DFI has a strong commitment to ESG serving communities, sustaining the planet and sourcing responsibly across the markets in which it operates. I can’t wait to meet the team, meet our customers and walk stores with the leadership team," he added. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to DFI Retail Group for more information. 

As a member of the Jardine Matheson Group, DFI Retail Group is incorporated in Bermuda and has a primary listing in the standard segment of the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Bermuda and Singapore. The Group’s businesses are managed from Hong Kong by DFI Retail Group Management Services through its regional offices. 

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