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improvements retailer Kingfisher has said its chief executive Ian Cheshire is
to step down after nearly seven years in charge of the company.
He
will be succeeded by the boss of French unit Castorama, Veronique Laury.
Ms
Laury will become the fifth female chief executive on the FTSE 100 index.
The
succession plan came as Kingfisher reported a dip in first-half profit, as a
boost from good weather in the first quarter was offset by a tougher second
quarter.
The
company, which owns B&Q and Screwfix in the UK, reported pre-tax profits
for the six months to 2 August of £375m compared with £401m for the same period
a year ago.
Ms
Laury joined Kingfisher 11 years ago and is currently a member of the
