The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has promoted its retail director Allison Swaine-Hughes to the role of chief commercial officer.

She will lead the charity’s retail and commercial operations and takes on the role following the retirement of chief commercial officer Mike Taylor las month.

Swaine-Hughes, who had been retail director since 2018, said her focus will be “on building resilience, embracing innovation, and ensuring our activities reflect our values – from sustainability to inclusivity – while driving income to fund lifesaving research across all our commercial ventures”.

Prior to joining the charity, she had more than 30 years retail leadership experiences, including senior roles at Gap and Asda. She is also a campaigner for tackling global textile waste.

“Allison's exceptional retail experience and a deep commitment to our life saving science have powered our retail operation for over a decade,” said BHF chief executive Charmaine Griffiths.

“As chief commercial officer and a member of our executive team I know she'll continue to make an impact in driving income and delivering impact for people affected by heart and circulatory diseases.”

The charity’s retail network includes more than 3,000 staff and 17,000 volunteers.

The charity’s commercial team also includes director of central operations Louise Clifford, transformation director for retail Gareth Campbell-Julian, retail director Jane Flannery and trading director Megan Greenlees.

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