Travis Perkins appoints Vodafone Head of IT Neil Pearce as new CTO

Travis Perkinshas appointed Vodafone’s Head of IT Neil Pearce as its new CTO.

The technology estate at the Northampton-based building materials wholesaler – which owns a number of retail brands, including Wickes and Tile Giant – has been run by Group Strategy and IT Director Normal Bell since November 2013, with the former Group Development Director in the role following JJ van Oosten’s departure from the company to become a Chief Digital Officer at German retail co-operative REWE Group.

Pearce had roles as Head of IT Transformation and Head of IT Delivery and Operations while at Vodafone, and previously worked at BP as its Global Applications Delivery Manager. Pearce also held a number of posts at Tesco – while van Oosten himself had been CIO of Tesco.com helping the supermarket chain launch its mobile platform in 2009.

Dr Carolyn Brown, the University of Durham CIO 100 member who will feature in an upcoming edition of CIO magazine, had been in the CIO post prior to van Oosten’s arrival at Travis Perkins in April 2012.

In a June 2013 CIO Profile, van Oosten told this title he wanted to bring the building merchants into the digital age as a clicks and mortar retailer as its customer base became increasingly digital and mobile-oriented.

Vodafone confirmed in January its CTOSteve Pusey would be retiring with Ericsson Executive Vice President and Head of Networks Johan Wilbergh becoming chief technology officer following a transition period. In 2013, UK CIO Mark Dearnley and Global CIO Albert Hitchcock, whose focus was on operational technology and information, both left Vodafone for technology leadership roles at HMRC and Pearson respectively.