Brown Thomas boss Mr Paul Kelly was last night named as the next chief executive of British retailing institution Selfridge and Co.
Brown Thomas Group owner Mr Galen Weston announced yesterday that he was appointing Mr Kelly as chief executive of both the Irish group and of Selfridge's.
Mr Weston's company, Wittington Investments, bought the then publicly quoted UK chain last May for more than €860 million sterling (€1.25 billion).
Mr Kelly will replace long-standing Selfridge's chief executive Mr Peter Williams, who was one of those who expressed interest in bidding for the British company last year.
Mr Williams said he was not interested in leaving the company after Wittington took over during the summer.
Selfridge's has four outlets in Britain, one in London, one in Birmingham and two in Manchester. Its flagship is the famous Oxford Street store in London, which was opened in 1909, and was one of the first department stores in Europe. The chain was founded by an American, Mr Gordon Selfridge.
The Irishman who now takes up the reins there left an accountancy course in Rathmines, Dublin, to work as a trainee manager in the old Bolger's chain. His father had been a director of that company.
Dunnes Stores bought Bolgers in the early 1970s and Mr Kelly moved to Cornelscourt in Dublin, before working in other locations, including Drogheda and Navan.
He then worked with the Dunnes Stores-owned Cassidy's Fabrics.
He joined Brown Thomas 20 years ago as deputy managing director and became managing director 10 years ago. During his career there, Brown Thomas bought Switzers, giving it a presence in Cork, Galway and Limerick.
Mr Kelly is 53 and was born in Waterford. His family moved to Dublin when he was seven and he was educated at St Mary's College, where he played rugby.
Wittington Investments' adviser, Mr Allan Leighton, will join the boards of both Brown Thomas and Selfridge's as deputy chairman.
Mr Weston said Wittington would form a management committee to allow his three high-street businesses, Brown Thomas, Selfridge's and Holt Renfrew in Canada, to forge closer strategic links.
