LONDON--(Marketwired - Apr 18, 2013) - SquareTrade ®, the top-rated warranty provider, today announced that Kevin Gillan has joined the company as managing director of Europe. Formerly group director for Carphone Warehouse Group plc, CEO of Geek Squad ® Europe, and commercial director of Best Buy Europe, Kevin joins SquareTrade to continue the company's growth in Europe. Late in 2012, SquareTrade announced that Tesco , UK's largest retailer, and Asda , had joined Amazon and eBay International as SquareTrade UK retailers.
"SquareTrade has had a fabulous welcome from the UK market -- a testament to the dire need among consumers for an alternative to traditional warranties," said Steve Abernethy, president and CEO of SquareTrade. "We expect Kevin's deep understanding of mobile and his experience building Geek Squad Europe from scratch to have a huge impact on our growth in the UK and Western Europe."
Gillan added: "I'm thrilled to join a company that is so radically transforming an outdated market: SquareTrade is bringing value and convenience to warranties that British & European consumers have never had access to before. And it's about time -- the technology-centric lifestyles we lead demand protection."
Gillan has a proven track record of building European retail business and driving profitable growth across international, consumer electronics markets. Before joining SquareTrade, he was the commercial director for Best Buy Europe where he developed its multi-channel launch strategy. Before this role, Kevin was the CEO of Geek Squad UK where he was responsible for creating and successfully launching the Joint Venture between Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse. He also launched a number of mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) across Europe including the very first MVNO in Spain.
Gillan started his career in marketing with Reebok International Ltd. and later Accenture where he was a management strategy consultant. Kevin attended Aston University for his undergraduate degree and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University where he earned his MBA.
About SquareTrade SquareTrade is the top-rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers for its fast and exceptional service. SquareTrade protects mobile devices, laptops and tablets, and other consumer electronics and appliances from malfunctions, accidental damage and life's frequent mishaps. Unlike old-fashioned warranties, SquareTrade is designed for today's consumer and uses innovative technology to deliver a zero-hassle claims process. SquareTrade has more than 200,000 fans on Facebook, consistently wins industry awards and receives thousands of 5-star reviews for its legendary customer service. Top retailers around the world offer SquareTrade, achieving a 200% increase in sales on average and happier customers. SquareTrade's rapid transformation of the warranty industry attracted one of the largest private capital raises in 2012, with a $238 million round led by Bain Capital and Bain Capital Ventures. Headquartered in San Francisco and London, SquareTrade is privately held. For more information, go to www.squaretrade.co.uk .
SquareTrade is a registered trademark of SquareTrade, Inc. Geek Squad is a registered trademark of Best Buy Enterprise Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. All other company, brand and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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