Australian department store Myer has appointed John King, the former House of Fraser head, as its new chief executive following an international search.
He will succeed Richard Umbers who stepped down earlier this year.
King was chief executive of House of Fraser from 2006 to 2014 when the company was sold to Chinese conglomerate Sanpower.
Myer executive chairman Garry Hounsell said: “John brings over thirty years of highly relevant retail experience across department stores, specialty retailing, premium global brands, wholesale apparel and discount retail.
“During his career, John has gained significant experience across all aspects of merchandise as well as store operations, ecommerce, sourcing and supply chain.
“John will bring a new perspective to Myer and has been given a full mandate by the board to deliver an improvement in financial performance.”
For the last three years, King has been living and working in the US where he has been undertaking consultancy work for a range of retailers.
He said: “I’m excited to lead this iconic Australian company, which like all global retailers, is facing significant change in both the retail environment and consumer shopping habits. I’m
