Henry Dummer, one of the country’s top marketers in recent years, has been appointed as CEO of the online retail group Very.ie

Dummer has more than 20 years’ experience across retail, telecommunications, financial services and consumer goods.

Having started out at GlaxoSmitKline, he moved on to Diageo where he was a customer marketing director for over five years. He then took on the role of marketing director for Tesco Ireland in 2011 before moving on to become group marketing director with eir in 2016. In 2018 he was appointed as chief marketing officer of Bank of Ireland, a role he held for three years before being appointed as managing director of Every Day Banking with Bank of Ireland.

In his new role, Dummer will “lead Very.ie’s growth strategy, oversee improvements to the customer experience and drive innovation across the company’s retail and financial services operations.”

The Very Group describes itself as the UK and Ireland’s largest integrated digital retailer and flexible payments provider. It has combined revenues of €2.33bn and 4.2m customers.

The group’s Irish business (formely known as Littlewoods Ireland) has been trading for almost 50 years. Headquartered in Blanchardstown, Dublin, it employs more than 35 people across marketing, logistics, compliance, customer care and finance, and also works with a network of Irish agencies and suppliers.

He will report to Sam Wright, chief customer and commercial officer at The Very Group.

“Very.ie is a business with a strong brand, loyal customers and a clear opportunity for growth,” Dummer said.

“I am delighted to be joining the team at such an important time for the business. Together, we will continue to focus on delivering exceptional value, convenience and service for our customers, while building on the strong foundations already in place.

“I’m excited to work alongside colleagues across Ireland and The Very Group to drive the next phase of our growth journey.”

Wright described Dummer as a proven commercial leader with experience in delivering growth, building brands and leading customer-focused transformation.

“His extensive experience across some of Ireland’s leading consumer businesses makes him exceptionally well placed to lead Very.ie,” Wright said.