Huboo has appointed Andrew Pinnington as its new CEO with founder Martin Bysh transitioning to a pure board role.
Bysh has run the eCommerce fulfilment business since 2017, building it to 700+ employees, operations in five countries and £50 million in annual recurring revenue.
He will remain as outgoing CEO for the next three months. In preparation for Pinnington entering the business, a new round of capital has been raised led by Mubadala Capital and supported by all current major investors.
Pinnington is an experienced business leader with a track record of successfully running complex public and private venture-backed businesses across the technology, retail, FMCG and consulting sectors.
After successful early-career stints at Bain & Co and Pepsico, Pinnington made his name at Carphone Warehouse, where he spent 12 years in charge of operations as the business scaled from a small private company through to a floatation and eventual joint venture with Best Buy.
With a wealth of experience guiding companies through transitions, Pinnington has held several leadership positions in rapidly expanding venture-backed enterprises over the last 10 years, including stints at MyTaxi, Bikeshak, Itch and Beat.
“I’m a tech entrepreneur who was seduced by a revolutionary operational opportunity, and it’s been wonderful working with [my co-founder] Paul [Dodd] and our team to seize the moment and realise our vision for Huboo,” said Bysh.
“Most importantly, we’ve built Huboo in a way that has not only delivered massive growth, but has created better jobs for warehouse workers and established a dynamic, positive workplace culture – practically unheard of in fulfilment.
“It’s been an honour to serve, but I’ve always known that I wasn’t the person to take the company into its next growth phase. We’ve spent many months scouring the market for the ideal replacement, and in Andrew Pinnington, we’ve landed upon a brilliant leader with all of the right experience running complex global businesses.
“Passing the reins over to Andrew means I’ll be able to focus more time on my family, my various board and advisory roles and hopefully a few new hobbies, safe in the knowledge that Huboo is in the very best hands.”
Under Bysh’s direction, Huboo has raised more than $150m. It featured on our recent RetailTech 50 ranking.
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Pinnington said: “I’ve always been excited by businesses that look to tackle existing problems with a fresh perspective, and Huboo has a unique way of addressing eCommerce brands’ fulfilment challenges by literally taking these problems off their hands.
“Martin and his team have done a superb job of building the business despite several years of volatile trading conditions, the company is well capitalised and is enjoying impressive growth in the UK and overseas.
“From the team’s capabilities to the service proposition and global market reach, all the ingredients are here to build something truly special, and I’m delighted to be taking the helm at such an exciting moment in Huboo’s journey.”