M&B IT boss departs for Argos

Mike Sackman, Mitchells & Butlers IT change and technology director has left the company to take on an executive board-level role at Argos, part of the Home Retail Group.

Argos has not confirmed Sackman’s new title, but it is understood to be as CIO for the business.

Sackman’s departure coincides with a restructure of the M&B IT department and a hosted services contract with Fujitsu. M&B commercial director Robin Young has brought in an interim head of IT, Tony Bentham for six months to oversee the transformation, which also includes a wifi deal with O2 for wireless broadband throughout its 1,600 pubs and restaurants estate.

Talking to CIO UK, Young confirmed that the lure of an executive board position was the main reason for Sackman moving on.

Sackman had been at M&B for four years during which time, he had overseen the transition of the IT department there from purely maintaining the communications infrastructure to embedding more fully into the business.

“Mike has taken the place from asset sweating to development mode, where we continue to be and have been for the last year” said Young. “He is moving to a CIO role on an Exec team at Argos. We don’t have this CEO reporting line at M&B so a positive career move as he wanted to be on an Exec Team.”

Young told CIO UK that Sackman’s role will be ultimately filled by someone already within the company.

Bentham and Young have already worked together in the past and both men have a background in financial services. Bentham spent time at Bradford & Bingley, Citi and HBOS.