ocado delivery van

Source: Ocado

Ocado Group has appointed technology veteran and former Avanade CEO Adam Warby as its chair.

Warby was a founding member of the IT consulting and services Avanade Corporation and served as its CEO for 11 years. He is currently chair of global leadership advisory Heidrick & Struggles International and a senior advisor at global investment firm KKR.

Prior to joining Avanade in 2000, Warby had been chair of Swiss enterprise software firm SoftwareOne; spent a decade at Microsoft; and worked in hardware and software sales for five years at IBM.

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He replaces Rick Haythornthwaite in the Ocado chair role, who is stepping down from the board.

“Ocado is a unique and innovative business, and a tremendous success story for the UK,” Warby said. “I’m excited about the opportunities ahead, working with a visionary leadership team, an experienced board, and the many talented colleagues across Ocado to grow the business and create greater value for our shareholders.”

Tim Steiner, CEO of Ocado, said Warby was joining at “an important moment” in the company’s development.

“Our world-leading technology is now live with 11 of our 13 partners globally, and we continue to expand the scope and reach of our technology into new markets and sectors. As we work with our partners to scale their online capabilities and hone their operations, Adam’s expertise as a leader in global technology and consulting will be a valuable asset to the board and leadership team,” Steiner said.

Haythornthwaite had served in the chair role for four years.

“I look forward to seeing this market leading business continue to thrive under Adam’s stewardship in the years to come,” he said.