Kingfisher, owner of the B&Q and Screwfix retail brands, has appointed Debarati Sen as its new chief commercial officer from December 2025.
She will join the group executive committee and be based at the company’s headquarters in Paddington, London.
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Sen joins from HMTX Industries, a US-based flooring manufacturer, where she serves as CEO.
She previously spent more than 26 years with 3M, holding senior leadership roles including president of home improvement and consumer safety and well-being, and president of the construction and home improvement markets division.
Kingfisher CEO Thierry Garnier stated: “I am very pleased to welcome Deba to Kingfisher.
“She brings extensive executive experience in large multinational environments and multiple markets, and is recognised for delivering commercial strategy anchored in product, marketing, business transformation and cross-cultural leadership in the home improvement sector.”
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By GlobalDataSen stated: “I am delighted to be joining Kingfisher. With its strong growth opportunities and clear customer propositions in each market, Kingfisher is at the forefront of home improvement, providing retail and trade customers with affordable, quality products and best-in-class customer service.
“I’m looking forward to working with the team to build on the strong foundations and further build upon Kingfisher’s distinctive competitive advantages.”
The UK home improvement retailer also confirmed that Henri Solère, chief offer and sourcing officer, will leave the company in January 2026 to pursue other opportunities.
During his 12 years at Kingfisher, Solère held senior positions including that of commercial director at Castorama and group category director, before assuming his current post in 2018.
He led the development of Kingfisher’s own exclusive brands (OEB) strategy.
Garnier added: “I would like to thank Henri for his huge contribution to Kingfisher over the last 12 years. Examples of the strength of his leadership have been widespread across the group, including his pioneering of our kitchen, bathroom and storage categories, and the development of our Own Exclusive Brands. He leaves behind a solid foundation for us to further strengthen our position, and we wish him all the best for the future.”
In September 2025, Kingfisher lifted its full-year 2025 profit guidance after posting profit growth in the first half.
The retailer reported a 0.8% growth in total sales, or 1.9% on a like-for-like basis, reaching £6.8bn ($9.1bn) for the six months ending 31 July 2025.
Statutory pretax profit increased 4.1% year-on-year to £338m, while adjusted pretax profit grew 10.2% to £368m.
