Dive Brief:
- QVC Group has named Alex Wellen president and chief growth officer, effective immediately, according to a Tuesday press release.
- In his new role, Wellen will manage the company’s growth strategy across its U.S. social selling, streaming, digital, new business development and platform distribution divisions. He will report to QVC Group CEO David Rawlinson II.
- Before arriving at QVC, Wellen was previously the CEO of MotorTrend Group, an automotive media company that Warner Bros. sold to Hearst in 2024. He also held senior leadership positions at Turner Broadcasting and CNN Worldwide, according to the announcement.
Dive Insight:
Wellen’s hiring is part of QVC Group’s efforts to compete in the streaming and social commerce era. The company in November revealed its goal to reach $1.5 billion or more in revenue from social commerce and streaming over the next three years.
“Alex is a pivotal hire in our strategy to return to top-line growth by becoming a live social shopping company,” Rawlinson said in a statement. “He has a proven ability to innovate and drive growth through live experiences on social, digital, TV and many other platforms. His unique skillset will be instrumental as we continue to execute our growth strategy, build new capabilities, and compete to win.”
The new strategy comes as the retailer has struggled financially. In its Q4 earnings report released earlier this year, QVC Group reported an operating loss of nearly $1.3 billion in its fourth quarter and an $809 million operating loss for the year. Fourth-quarter revenue dropped 6% year over year to $2.9 billion, while revenue for the year declined by 8% from last year to $10 billion.
Amid its financial struggles, QVC Group closed its former St. Petersburg, Florida-based headquarters, a move it made to merge its QVC US and HSN operations. In late January, the company said it would relocate its corporate headquarters to West Chester, Pennsylvania, and create a content engine at Studio Park, where the company will generate social commerce and streaming content for QVC and HSN.