House of Fraser appoints Maria Hollins in newly created executive director role

Premium department store group House of Fraser has appointed Maria Hollins to the newly created role of Executive Director, Buying and Design. The former Global Product and Trading Director from Asos, is set to join the team at HoF on May 9, 2016.

“House of Fraser has long been an integral part of the British retail landscape and I am delighted to be joining it at this exciting time,” said Hollins on her new appointment. “I have been impressed by the huge ambitions for the business and am looking forward to working with the team to deliver the customer the best shopping experience, in the UK and internationally.”

In her new role, Hollins will oversee all of the buying and design functions across of House of Fraser to bring a more consistent and defined approach to the company’s buying, design and sourcing departments. She will also be working closely alongside House of Frasers Brand Partners to drive growth across all categories. Hollins is set to report directly to HoF Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Oddy and will share a more strategic view of space management across House of Fraser’s estate.

“We are delighted to welcome Maria to House of Fraser. This newly created role will bring together for the first time Buying and Design functions across the business, allowing a more unified and strategic approach to key trading areas of our business,” commented Oddy on Hollins appointment. “Maria’s expertise and guidance will be invaluable to us as we continue to work to enhance our leading multichannel proposition and to grow our business. We look forward to welcoming her to the team in May.”

Hollins brings with her over 25 years of experience in retail as well as fashion, multichannel strategies and international markets. She has worked across numerous sectors in the industry for companies such as Arcadia Group, Whistles and, most recently, Asos. “Our ability to attract an individual of Maria’s calibre is a real testament to the strength of our business and our ambitions for growth both in the UK and internationally,” added Frank Slevin, House of Fraser Executive Chairman.

“As part of our senior management team, the experience she brings will be hugely valuable to our ongoing development.”