Dixons Carphone's UK & Ireland CEO hired as head of new SSE/Innogy business

Dixons Carphone's UK & Ireland chief executive, Katie Bickerstaffe, is leaving the company to take up the role of chief executive designate at the new energy supply business recently announced by SSE and Innogy.

Chief executive Alex Baldock said: "On behalf of the board and all our colleagues, I would like to thank Katie for all she has done over the past 10 years for the UK and Ireland business. Katie's dedication, passion and hard work has helped transform and strengthen the business into a market leader during a period of significant change. I look forward to working closely with Katie in the coming months and wish her every success when she moves to her exciting new role."

Bickerstaffe, who is the first appointment to the board of the new company being set up by SSE and Innogy, will take up her new role later this year and will lead the work being done to prepare for the formation and listing of the new group, expected in the last quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2019.

SSE chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies said: "Katie has excellent credentials in retail, extensive experience of organisational change and recent insight derived from merging two companies into one. She will therefore bring to the role of chief executive a strong customer focus and enormous capacity to unlock the great potential that exists in combining the experience and insight of two established players with the focus and agility of a new, independent company."

Bickerstaff has been executive director of Dixons Carphone since it was formed in 2014 and has been CEO for the UK and Ireland business since 2015, having joined Dixons in 2008.

At 1010 BST, Dixons shares were up 0.4% to 197.85p and SSE shares were up 1.1% to 1,289.10p.