CEO COMMUNITY


This Community comprises CEOs and MDs of UK Retailers, or their designated deputies. Through it, BRC CEO Helen Dickinson OBE shares insight, thought-leadership and intelligence from the heart of Government, the Opposition and industry experts regarding the business-critical issues facing UK retailers: Business Rates, Rent, Brexit, People, CSR, Digital Transformation and more. 

Helen hosts a conference call on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, sharing latest insight, sales data and thinking from BRC and its members, alongside guest speakers to give a wider industry or political perspective. Recent guests include:

  • Kevin Hollinrake MP, Retail Minister
  • Jonathan Reynolds MP, Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary
  • Bridget Phillipson MP, Shadow Education Secretary
  • Sarah Cardell, CEO of the Competition and Markets Authority
  • Mervyn Metcalf, co-founder of Dean Street Advisers

Summaries of these calls are available in a CEO Community Hub.

The Community also receives a weekly email update of the key issues and priorities, is the channel through which CEOs can feed in their perspectives on such issues, and gives them a regular opportunity to swap notes with their peers. Members of the CEO Community can access all member-only content from every BRC Community.

Retail member CEOs are automatically placed in this Community. If you are not a CEO but would like to join the Community, please email pauline.kavanagh@brc.org.uk. 

Testimonials

On the really big issues, eg Brexit and Covid, we would not have been able to operate as effectively as we have been doing without the BRC representing us, taking our concerns to the heart of government and giving us early warning as policies developed.

CEO, Top Four Supermarket
The support received during lockdown has been invaluable. In particular, weekly CEO calls, direct contact with Helen and government influence.

CEO, major UK fashion retailer
In particular the weekly CEO call very useful - Helen is very articulate and very skilful at balancing the different perspectives of the members to find a constructive "party line" for the BRC. She's also great at interpreting/picking up on early signals from government and communicating those to the CEO group...

CEO, multichannel retailer
The BRC has done a superb job during Covid: rallying the industry, influencing government, securing key comms and commitments from the government, and giving great policy advice.

CFO, major online retailer