Qurate Retail Inc., the parent of QVC and HSN, announced that David Rawlinson II will assume the role of President and CEO, effective October 1. He will succeed Mike George after a two-month transition period, beginning August 1, during which time Rawlinson will serve as President and CEO-Elect.
“We are pleased to welcome David Rawlinson to the Qurate family. David brings an impressive track record of success, most recently with two storied brands, Nielsen and Grainger. At these companies, David was a transformational leader and successfully managed the businesses through evolutionary transitions. His knowledge of global e-commerce, understanding of consumer trends and focus on mission and culture as a purpose-driven leader make him a natural fit for Qurate Retail. We look forward to his leadership as we continue to deliver on our brand purpose and principles across all our stakeholder groups,” said Greg Maffei, Qurate Retail executive chairman. “The Board and I want to thank Mike George for being an exceptional leader of QVC, and then Qurate Retail, for almost sixteen years, bringing our unique video commerce experiences to new generations of consumers worldwide, and especially for his dedication and commitment during the pandemic.”
“Qurate Retail operates as a unique and powerful enterprise. The world of shopping has been forever changed by the pandemic and these brands have the international scale, customer affinity, and expertise in driving and meeting demand across multiple platforms to define the future of experiential retail,” said Rawlinson. “QVC and HSN pioneered home shopping and are now set to define a new world of seamless shopping. Zulily, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill and Grandin Road are all focused and modern brands with passionate customers and unique value propositions. Together, Qurate Retail is in a strong position to drive value for our customers, shareholders, communities, and employees. I look forward to working with the exceptional team at Qurate Retail and I am grateful to Mike for being such a capable and values-driven leader for the company. I also want to thank Greg and the Board for this opportunity.”
“It’s bittersweet as I look to my retirement at the end of this year. I could not be prouder of the Qurate Retail team and the way they have evolved our business to a robust multi-brand portfolio of truly differentiated lifestyle brands,” said George. “I am confident David’s experience, shared values, and leadership will greatly benefit the entire Qurate Retail community; I look forward to welcoming David and to working together to support a seamless transition.”
Prior to joining NielsenIQ as CEO, Rawlinson was president of Grainger Global Online, where he led the stand-alone division of W.W. Grainger, Inc. under his leadership the business grew double-digits every year and won multiple national awards for workplace culture. He has also held executive roles with ITT Exelis, formerly ITT Corp.
From October 1 until his retirement at year-end, George will serve as a senior advisor to Qurate Retail to assist in transitional matters. Effective January 1, 2022, and concurrently with George’s retirement from the Board of Directors of Qurate Retail, Rawlinson will join the Board. Qurate Retail had announced in November 2020 that George would retire from the company at the end of 2021 allowing ample time for transition planning and an executive search process.
Photos courtesy QVC/David Rawlinson II
