Retail technology veteran Marcus Dawson departs UK retailer Selfridges for Proximity CTO role

Proximity, developer of a ‘super app’ for store teams, has appointed Marcus Dawson as Chief Technology Officer.

He joins from Selfridges where he spent almost 11 years, most recently serving as Head of Architecture and Data & Insights.

“Marcus will lead our Product and Engineering teams, playing a pivotal role in our continued growth and innovation,” says Cathy McCabe, CEO and Co-founder at Proximity.

“He brings a wealth of experience in retail technology, having spearheaded transformative programmes and projects in digital, architecture, data, and insights for renowned brands like John Lewis, Asos, Debenhams, and Selfridges.”

She adds: “His expertise will be integral as we scale our global customer base and further enhance our product offerings. We’re excited about the journey ahead and the impact his leadership will bring.”

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Proximity was among the finalists at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last month’s gathering.