22 September 2026

  • Caroline to lead the people agenda from 28 September, overseeing Currys’ People, Communications and Sustainability teams.
  • She joined Currys over a year ago as Group Talent, Leadership and Learning Director after spending over two decades in senior leadership positions at Diageo and Haleon.

Currys has today announced the appointment of Caroline Hirst as its new Chief People Officer.

Caroline has been successfully leading Currys’ talent, leadership and learning agenda since 2025. Before that, she spent over two decades at Diageo and Haleon in senior people leadership roles spanning multiple geographies. A highly experienced strategic partner to commercial and operational teams, she has a strong track record of building world-class talent, driving organisational change and developing high-performance cultures that deliver profitable growth. Her expertise spans the full people agenda, from talent management to learning and development and organisation design.

Caroline begins her new role on 28 September, succeeding Paula Coughlan. She joins Currys' Executive Committee, reporting to CEO Fredrik Tønnesen, and will also oversee the company's Communications and Sustainability agenda.

“I'm delighted that Caroline has agreed to become our new Chief People Officer.

Since joining just over a year ago, Caroline has made a huge impact leading our talent and learning agenda, and she brings a wealth of experience in building the kind of cultures that bring the best out of people, gained over two decades at some of the world's best-known consumer businesses.

At Currys, our Capable and Committed colleagues are central to everything we do and are our springboard to even stronger results - which is what makes this appointment so important.

I look forward to working with Caroline to continue unlocking the full potential of our colleagues and our business.”

Fredrik Tønnesen Currys' Group Chief Executive

“I'm incredibly proud to be named Currys’ Chief People Officer. This is a business that has real momentum, and a culture people genuinely want to be part of – that's what brought me here in the first place.

Building on that culture, and on the brilliant work Paula and the team have done, is a real privilege.

I've always believed people do their best work when they feel trusted, included and properly set up to succeed. I'm looking forward to working with colleagues across Currys to support that continued success.”

Caroline Hirst Currys’ incoming Chief People Officer