Matalan has bolstered its senior leadership team as part of its ongoing turnaround strategy, appointing executives across buying and design, trading, marketing, and digital disciplines.
The appointments come under Executive Chair Karl-Heinz Holland and Chief Product, Brand and Commercial Officer Sarah Welsh, who joined earlier this year and has since restructured the company’s creative and commercial functions into a unified team. Welsh emphasised that the refreshed leadership line-up is essential to “delivering everyday style, quality and value for customers.”
Jo Bennett has been appointed Director of Buying & Design to lead Matalan’s product and design strategy. She brings experience from Tu Clothing and John Lewis, where she oversaw the womenswear and accessories business. Jon Williams steps into the newly created role of Director of Trading, Planning and Merchandising, bringing over 20 years of multichannel retail experience with brands including John Lewis, Tesco, and Primark.
Eilidh MacAskill joins as Director of Marketing, with senior experience across retail and fashion journalism, including roles at Ocado, Asda, and Monsoon Accessorize. Andreas Nicolaides has been named Director of Digital, tasked with driving Matalan’s omnichannel strategy, bringing extensive experience from N Brown, John Lewis, and UK digital media agencies.
The new hires complement existing strengths in sourcing, quality, customer insight, and data, forming what Matalan describes as a “rationalised senior team with broader scope and enhanced expertise.” They coincide with wider investment in Matalan’s stores and supply chain, following a US $ 31.8 million funding boost from its anchor investors earlier this year, underscoring the retailer’s commitment to modernising operations and elevating its offer as part of a long-term transformation strategy.
Holland stated that Matalan was making “strong progress on [its] transformation plan,” noting that combining product, brand, and commercial capabilities had enabled the business to focus on customers and deliver “excellent quality, value and style.” He added that with fresh investment, a modernised store estate, invigorated product, and the right talent, the company had the strategy and means to grow market share, attract new customers, and achieve sustainable, profitable growth.
Welsh highlighted that the unified structure would allow the company to “relentlessly deliver the everyday style, quality and value [its] customer deserves.” She expressed delight at welcoming the new team and emphasised the focus on inspiring customers, innovating in product and marketing, and expanding market share.
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