Kingfisher appoints Chief Commercial Officer

Kingfisher plc, the international home improvement company, announces today that it has appointed Debarati (Deba) Sen as its Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). 

An engineer and MBA by background, Deba is a seasoned executive with broad experience in large multinational environments across multiple continents and markets. She joins from HMTX Industries, a leading US global flooring manufacturer, where she is the Chief Executive Officer, having previously spent over 26 years at 3M Co. During her time in 3M, she most recently held the role of President, Home Improvement, Consumer Safety & Well-being, and prior to that as President, Construction & Home Improvement Markets Division. Deba will join Kingfisher in December, will become a member of Kingfisher’s Group Executive and will be based at Kingfisher’s head office in Paddington, London.

Kingfisher also announces that Henri Solère, Chief Offer and Sourcing Officer, has decided to step down from his role in January 2026, to explore new opportunities. In his 12 years at Kingfisher, Henri has held a number of senior roles, including as Commercial Director at Castorama and Group Category Director, before taking on his current role in 2018. In this role, he has led the development and success of Kingfisher’s Own Exclusive Brands (OEB) strategy, which has become a critical asset for the Group and its banners.

Thierry Garnier, Kingfisher CEO, said:

“I am very pleased to welcome Deba to Kingfisher. She brings extensive executive experience in large multinational environments and multiple markets, and is recognised for delivering commercial strategy anchored in product, marketing, business transformation and cross-cultural leadership in the home improvement sector. We very much look forward to working with her, as we advance our commercial agenda and continue to build our capabilities in these areas.”

“I would like to thank Henri for his huge contribution to Kingfisher over the last 12 years. Examples of the strength of his leadership have been widespread across the Group, including his pioneering of our Kitchen, Bathroom and Storage categories, and the development of our Own Exclusive Brands. He leaves behind a solid foundation for us to further strengthen our position, and we wish him all the best for the future.”

Deba Sen said:

“I am delighted to be joining Kingfisher. With its strong growth opportunities and clear customer propositions in each market, Kingfisher is at the forefront of home improvement, providing retail and trade customers with affordable, quality products, and best-in-class customer service. I’m looking forward to working with the team to build on the strong foundations and further build upon Kingfisher’s distinctive competitive advantages.”

Henri Solère said:

“I am extremely proud of what we’ve achieved at Kingfisher over the last 12 years. We’ve made significant progress in evolving and delivering against our strategic priorities throughout this time, with our colleagues working tirelessly to achieve our purpose of helping to create better homes and better lives for everyone. Particular highlights for me have been our development of more affordable, high-quality and sustainable products for our customers, with nearly 60% of Group sales now represented by Sustainable Home Products. We’ve achieved stand-out OEB performances in categories including Kitchen & Bathroom (GoodHome), and other ranges including powertools (Erbauer) and outdoor (Verve). I look forward to seeing what more the teams can achieve in the coming years.”

About Kingfisher plc

Kingfisher plc is an international home improvement company with over 1,900 stores, supported by a team of c76,000 colleagues. We operate in seven countries across Europe under retail banners including B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, Screwfix, TradePoint and Koçtaş. We offer home improvement products and services to consumers and trade professionals who shop in our stores and via our e-commerce channels.

Better Homes. Better Lives. For Everyone. At Kingfisher, we believe a better world starts with better homes and we strive to help make that happen.

www.kingfisher.com