David Rawlinson Hired As CEO Of Parent Company To QVC And HSN, Qurate

Qurate Retail has a new chief executive officer (CEO).

According to The Wall Street Journal, David Rawlinson II is the next CEO of the parent company of QVC and HSN as the online retailer looks to make changes that reflect the ever-evolving habits of consumers.

Rawlinson will serve as president and CEO-elect of Qurate Retail, Inc. for a two-month period before taking the role on Oct. 1.

Current Qurate CEO Mike George will retire at year-end before Rawlinson steps into his new role.

For Rawlinson, the new role is proof that representation matters as Qurate joins other companies who have been working to diversify their boardrooms, executive suites, and workforces following the racial reckoning in the U.S. after the murder of George Floyd.

“Representation matters,” said Rawlinson in an interview. “It’s important for every young person to see that their future is limitless.”

The 45-year-old says that the job drew his attention thanks to his mother who watched QVC and HSN during his childhood.

“It was the background music of my childhood,” he continued.

As the former executive at market researcher, NielsenIQ, and industrial supplier W.W. Grainger Inc., Rawlinson will bring a unique background to the company as they look to continue to grow and adapt to the changing times.

“We’re in the middle of a real change in consumer behavior,” said Rawlinson. “Some of it was driven by the pandemic and some of it was happening before.”

Speaking of change, the company currently owns online retailer Zulily which, along with catalog mailers, Frontgate and Garnet Hill, have pivoted from strictly selling on television to becoming large e-commerce players.

Qurate’s chairman, Greg Maffei, says that Rawlinson’s duty will be to continue the evolution that the company has begun by venturing into that e-commerce space.

“David is well suited to be that change agent,” said Maffei.

Prior to his time at NielsenIQ, Rawlinson ran the online business of Grainger from 2015 to 2020. There he helped to provide large retailers with market share and other data.