WH Smith has announced that Robert Moorhead will retire from his role as chief financial officer and chief operating officer at the end of November after 20 years with the retailer.

He will be succeeded by Max Izzard, who is currently SVP group and corporate finance at fashion retailer Burberry. Izzard will join WH Smith in September this year and will be appointed to the board from 1 December 2024.

Izzard held a number of roles over six years at Burberry and helped to support the transformation and development of the business. Prior to this Izzard held a number of senior commercial and group finance roles at IHG PLC.

"Robert has been a fantastic support to me and the broader executive teams,” said Carl Cowling, chief executive of WH Smith. “In particular, I want to thank him for his work during the exceptional challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and the way he skilfully navigated the financial complexities of those times.”

He added: "I look forward to working with Max who has a strong background and a wealth of expertise in a variety of international businesses, and I know he will contribute to the continued success of the company.”

In January, WH Smith announced a revenue boost of eight per cent thanks to higher sales from its growing travel business.

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