Electric boss lands Focus Do It All post

Focus Do It All, the do-it-yourself retailer formed after Boots sold Do It All to the Focus Group last year, has replaced marketing director Jim Lowe with David Pearson of Northern Electric & Gas.

Pearson joins the company following Lowe’s move to a new role as director of new business. Lowe will take charge of the roll-out of Focus’ Pet World and Craft Works stores.

Pearson, who will be responsible for Focus’ &£10m advertising account, joins from Northern Electric’s supply division, where he was sales and marketing director. Prior to that, Pearson was managing director of Northern Electric Retail.

The move comes at the end of Focus Do It All’s first year of business since the Focus’ &£68m purchase last August. The sale led to the switching of Do It All’s six board directors to senior roles at Boots. They included marketing and merchandising director David Clayton-Smith, who became Boots’ director of customer marketing.

Focus Do It All handed its centralised &£10m account to incumbent Media Insight following a pitch involving BMP Optimum, Universal McCann Manchester and Dixon Moultrie Silkstone. Creative work moved – without a pitch – to BDH TBWA, Focus’ incumbent agency and sister company of Do It All’s former agency TBWA GGT Simons Palmer.