Mothercare appoints temporary boss

10th Mar 2014 13:53

Baby goods retailer Mothercare has appointed a new temporary boss to take over from Simon Calver, who quit last month.Mothercare said Mark Newton-Jones, the former Chief Executive of online and home shopping business Shop Direct, would become its interim Chief Executive from March 17th and would stand in while the company seeks a permanent chief.Newton-Jones was at Shop Direct for a decade before leaving last July and previously worked at fashion retailer Next, where he held senior roles including as the director responsible for the Next Directory home shopping business.Calver joined the group in April 2012 and launched an overhaul of its struggling UK business. Mothercare declined to comment on the reasons for his departure, but it is thought the company wanted more progress in the UK. The group warned on annual profit after Christmas as parents bought their children smartphones and other electronic devices as gifts rather than traditional toys. Chairman Alan Parker said: "Mark's leadership skills and depth of experience in retailing through stores and online will further enhance our drive to deliver the recovery of the UK business to complement the strong and growing international operations."Mothercare's shares rose 0.75p or 0.32% to 236p at 14.20 in London.