UK motoring and cycling retailer Halfords has appointed Sarah Haywood as its new chief information technology (CIO).

Haywood joins the company from The Carlsberg Group, where she most recently served as CIO.

She joined the Danish multinational brewer in 2018 as chief technology officer, a position she held for almost three years.

Prior to this, she was senior director information systems with a focus on global sales and marketing at Mondelez International, an American multinational company known for popular brands like Oreo, Cadbury, and Trident.

She has previously held various senior roles including director information systems at British multinational confectionery company Cadbury and director information systems strategy at US food manufacturer Kraft Foods Group.

The new CIO started her career in 1998 as IT service delivery lead at Cadbury Schweppes Bottling Group.

“Over the coming years digital transformation will play a key role in shaping the future of the business, and I am very excited about being part of that journey,” said Haywood in a LinkedIn post.

Commenting on Haywood’s appointment, Henry Birch, group chief executive at Halfords Group said that she would be a “fantastic addition” to its executive team.

Earlier this year, Halfords appointed Jess Frame as managing director of retail.

Frame joined the retailer from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she currently serves as managing partner of the London office.

She previously held senior roles at Tesco, including customer strategy and investments director.

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