Award-winning pet retailer Jollyes has strengthened its executive team with a number of talented leaders from some of Britain’s leading retailers.
This comes weeks after Jollyes launched its first dedicated recruitment and careers website, as it prepares for significant new store growth. The site has already generated over 7,000 applications in its first few weeks.
The Board has been strengthened with two new hires who will work closely with chief executive officer Joe Wykes, underscoring the fast-growing retailer’s ambitions.
Adam Dury will join Jollyes as its new chief operating officer in January. For the past five years Adam has been chief commercial officer at Card Factory plc and a key member of its group operating board. Prior to Card Factory, Adam worked in commercial roles at Tesco and Marks and Spencer.
Adam will join chief executive Joe Wykes and chairman Andy Bond on a strengthened main board alongside its recently appointed chief financial officer Richard Willan.
Richard joined Jollyes in May 2024 after finance director roles at Coca Cola and Whitbread and other finance, commercial and strategy roles at Sainsbury’s, Argos and McKinsey.
Jollyes is also strengthening its senior leadership team with three key hires.
The first is its new trading director Anne Galloway who joins Jollyes after a 20-plus year career in buying and merchandising roles at Tesco. During her time at Tesco, Anne led the home category commercial teams which included pet care, as well as roles looking after toys, celebrations, home electrical, hardware and F&F clothing categories.
Matt Johnston also joins Jollyes this month as its chief technology officer. Matt joins from Sainsbury’s where he was head of data science, driving value from data both in Sainsbury’s and Argos.
Finally, later this year Katherine Paterson will join Jollyes next month as its new chief marketing officer. Katherine is heading for Jollyes after 12 years as customer director at Hobbycraft and senior marketing and e-commerce roles at B&Q/Kingfisher, Asda and Mars.
Continued store expansion
Last month Jollyes launched a new store at Monks Cross Shopping Park in York – the latest opening that has seen it grow its store estate by 50 % in just three years.
There are three further openings, in East Kilbride, Leyland and Cardiff, planned for November, and Jollyes expects the pace of stores openings to continue to accelerate in 2025.
New careers website
Jollyes also recently unveiled a revamped careers website that has generated over 7,000 applications in its first few weeks. The site at https://careers.jollyes.co.uk/ will be the go-to place for those looking to find a dream job looking after the nation’s pets, as Jollyes works hard to become one of the best employers in retail.
In the last 18 months it has already introduced a package of benefits for its 1,200-plus colleagues nationwide, including birthday leave, a ‘pet-eternity’ day for colleagues getting a new pet in the family, a week off on full pay for all colleagues when they get married, enhanced maternity and paternity leave and an enhanced 20 per cent discount off all Jollyes services.
Joe Wykes, Jollyes chief executive officer, said: “It’s a measure of the progress we’ve made that we’re now able to attract some of the best talent in British retailing to join our team.
“And while we’ve had a tremendous couple of years, continuing to fulfil our ambitious growth plans will depend on us hiring, nurturing, and supporting people who can build great careers at Jollyes.
“We’re determined to be first in line as great people look for great roles, whether that’s in the boardroom or on the shopfloor.
“I’d like to welcome my new colleagues to the business as we continue our exciting journey serving pet parents across the UK.”
Jollyes has had a remarkable 2024 winning new investment to supercharge its growth, being named as the best retailer in Britain at the prestigious Retail Week awards for retailers under £250m turnover and making the Sunday Times’ list for the first time as one of Britain’s best big companies to work for.
