Name: Trevor Moore
Was: MD of Thresher Group’s The Local
Now: CEO of HMV

Career background: Schooled in business with a BSc in economics, management and industrial relations, Moore has a broad mix of retail experience. Having worked for coffee Republic and Whitbread early in his retail career, in 2005 he moved from Phones 4U to Thresher Group to become MD of its food and drink convenience store chain The Local. He has since worked for Esporta, Gusto, Select and Jessops.

What is he doing now? In September 2012, he became CEO of struggling music giant HMV. He has an unenviable uphill task. The company’s shares have collapsed along with sales of CDs and DVDs in recent years, falling from over 160p to 4p under his predecessor Simon Fox’s six-year stewardship.

What are his chances of success? Fox’s departing words were “we have moved from crisis to calm waters”. The calm did not last for long. Moore was forced into crisis talks with banks in December after a poor start to Christmas trading and the outlook is pretty grim. Trendy headphones aside, the markets HMV is in are, at best, fiercely competitive, or, at worst, in terminal decline. Moore did a good job steadying the ship at Jessops, although it went into administration this week. He’ll be hoping to help HMV avoid a similar fate.

What is his style? At six feet and six inches in height, he has a big physical presence that is matched by his personality. Former colleagues say he has boundless energy, coupled with a great ability to motivate people and get things done.

What next? If a challenge is what Moore is after then there are plenty of those on the high street. His depth and breadth of experience in retail will make him a decent catch and nobody is likely to blame him if HMV fails.

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