Homebase poaches B&Q retail marketer

GUS-owned retailer Homebase has poached Ajay Kavan from rival B&Q as its marketing director following a two-year search.

Kavan was responsible for retail and e-commerce marketing at B&Q as director of direct channels. Kavan will join Homebase early next year after serving a period of gardening leave. Kavan was marketing director of e-commerce at Littlewoods Retail until 2000 (MW January 20, 2000).

Homebase has thoroughly overhauled its senior management during the past two years. The position of marketing director, reporting to managing director Paul Loft, has been vacant since Tim Jones was moved sideways to trading director in 2001.

Jones left the company earlier this year, and his responsibilities were split between Penny Teale and Leigh Martin.

Andrea Preducov, head of brand marketing, took over as interim chief marketer at the DIY retailer, but she too left the company five months ago (MW May 1). Preducov’s brand marketing position remains vacant, with temporary responsibilities handed to brand communications manager Karen Gray.