UK's Topps Tiles names new CEO and interim CFO

(Reuters) -Tile retailer Topps Tiles on Thursday named Alex Jensen as its new CEO and Mike Killick as its interim CFO and said its finance boss Stephen Hopson will leave the retailer and join pub group Marston's.

Jensen replaces Rob Parker, who had said in January that he intended to retire after 18 years with the firm.

Finance boss Hopson will leave on September 3 to take on the role of CFO at Marston's after more than four years at Topps Tiles.

The management changes come at a time when Topps Tiles is refining its strategy to focus on expanding the online business, amid dissatisfaction from top investor MS Galleon, which in November raised concerns about long-term margin erosion.

Jensen, who was recently the top boss of National Express UK, Ireland & Germany and is a former BP executive, will join as CEO designate on September 15, and Parker will remain in the post until towards the end of the year, Topps Tiles said.

Parker, who joined the group in 2007, served as its chief financial officer for 12 years before becoming the CEO in 2019.

(Reporting by Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)