Halfords finance director Andrew Findlay is switching from wheels to wings after being poached by low-cost airline easyJet.
Findlay — who has been with the car parts-to-bike seller since 2011 — will replace Chris Kennedy, who is leaving easyJet to be chief finance officer at chip designer ARM Holdings.
Three weeks ago Halfords appointed Jill McDonald of McDonald’s as chief executive.
Findlay is the second senior executive to be poached from Halfords: McDonald is replacing Matt Davies who left to be UK head of Tesco.
The finance director has been part of the team that has been credited with turning Halfords into a force in the bike retailing world, which has enjoyed a boom in sales after the London 2012 Olympics, and improving its profitability by appealing to non-motorists.
Carolyn McCall, chief executive of easyJet, said that Findlay’s consumer experience and strong focus on cost would be valuable to the no-frills airline.
“He is part of the leadership team at Halfords which has created a much more customer-centric and profitable business. Andrew is a great fit for easyJet and I am sure he will add a lot of value to the airline,” McCall said.
Findlay, who was in the Marks & Spencer finance team before joining the bike retailer, will remain at Halfords until October, when Kennedy is due to leave for ARM Holdings.
EasyJet expects to benefit from low oil prices in coming months, as it heads into its peak holiday season. Its fuel bill is set to fall by between £22 million and £70 million over the year.
Halfords and Easyjet shares both fell by 1.7% to 463.8p and 1884p, respectively.
McCall has been in her job for almost five years, after joining from Guardian Media Group, where she was also chief executive.
