Leading home improvement retailer appoints new group finance director and chief executive, international.
Kingfisher plc has named Kevin O'Byrne as group finance director with effect from October 1, 2008. He will join the Kingfisher main board as an executive director on the same day.

Mr Byrne joins the company from electrical retailing group DSG International, where he held the position of group finance director since 2004.

He will succeed Duncan Tatton-Brown, who has been group finance director at Kingfisher for the last four years.

Peter Hogsted has been appointed chief executive, international, where he will be responsible for Kingfisher's operations in Poland, Russia, Italy, Turkey and China.

Mr Hogsted joins Kingfisher from Ikea where he is currently chief executive of its UK operations and also chairman of Ikea in Poland, the Czech Repblic, Slovakia, Ireland and Hungary. He will take up his new role on September 1 this year.

Mr Hogsted's appointment follows the recent announcement of Euan Sutherland as ceo UK and Philippe Tible as ceo, France. O'Byrne and Hogsted will join them on Kingfisher's new Retail Board.