Pets at Home has created the new position of group chief data officer in order for the retailer to “focus more on digital assets”.

Chief executive Peter Pritchard (pictured) said that after six months in the role, he had taken the time to “assess our strategy and develop the plan that will ensure Pets at Home remains successful over the long term”.

Robert Kent will join Pets at Home next month in the role of group chief data officer, joining from the Royal Mail Group where he was CDO for nearly eight years and head of programme delivery for two years.

Mr Pritchard has also announced that the existing CEO of the Vet Group, Andrei Balta, will leave the business, and that he will “assume temporarily” that role.

He said: “I have spoken before about my intention to focus more on digital assets, tap into the vast potential of our data and take action to ensure our vet business reaches its full potential. I am committed to transforming Pets at Home into an integrated pet care business, with the best leadership team to deliver our vision.”

Mr Kent said:“Pets at Home is a specialist retailer that has been very successful in the UK pet market. Now is the time for the business to take the next step towards becoming a world class pet care provider, which will need a more integrated, fast moving approach to meet pet owners’ needs.

“I look forward to working with Peter and the team to unlock the wealth of data within the business, so that we can better deliver the products and services customers really want.”