Top Comet exit sparks

Electrical retailer Comet has undergone its second board reorganisation in eight months, following the departure of commercial director Brent Wilkinson to parent company Kingfisher last month.

Chris Rogers, formerly finance director, has been made product marketing director with responsibility for white goods.

Product marketing director for brown and white goods Leigh Martin will be responsible for advertising and merchandise, as well as brown goods. This effectively fills the gap left by Len Whitlock who quit the company last November (MW, November 3 1995).

A new appointment, communications controller, has been handed to Alasdair Hirst who has been promoted from his post of national advertising manager. He will report to Martin.

Ian Edwards, who was responsible for IT and distribution, now also takes responsibility for finance, filling in the gap left by Rogers.

Peter Hopper, who was made buying director last July, now also has responsibility for corporate sales.

Two new appointments have been made to the Comet board – Kevin Doyle has been made development director, specifically to focus on new product and retail, and Jim Weight comes from Staples (UK) to be involved in the current review of distribution and after-sales service.

Last July, a board-level shake-up was initiated when Wilkinson was demoted from managing director to become commercial director (MW, July 28). At the time, a Kingfisher spokesman said the reshuffle would strengthen the board to halt the retailer’s decline. In the year to January, Comet suffered losses of 2m.