Lengthy-established UK-based Mamas & Papas is gearing up for the Golden Quarter with “significant” funding to develop the enterprise at house and overseas with a brand new management group set to ship the technique as its CEO steps down.
Sarah Ashby
Backed by non-public fairness agency BlueGem, the Huddersfield-based firm “wants to build the Mamas & Papas brand by leverage its customer data across its digital marketing and accelerate its international rollout to deliver its ambition”.
It additionally plans to proceed consolidating its place within the UK market, the place it has a 20% share, via its multi-channel retailer and on-line mannequin.
Though the corporate didn’t broaden additional on its plans, the brand new technique might be executed below the steering of latest management group. The group’s CFO Sarah Ashby isn’t solely promoted to COO, but in addition turns into interim CEO to exchange chief government Nathan Williams who departs after seven years within the submit.
Williams is now set “to pursue non-executive and advisory opportunities after a career spanning almost 30 years in senior management”. The corporate mentioned that in his tenure, Williams “oversaw the build of a significant UK concessions business, international partnerships and the brand’s purpose-driven initiatives”.
It added that recruitment of a brand new CEO was below manner and could be introduced shortly. In the meantime Steve Parkin, former CEO of peer Mayborn Group and its Tommee Tippee model, has joined as chairman, bringing his “extensive experience in scaling international businesses in the nursery sector”.
Steve Parkin
Ashby and Parkin will spearhead the event of the brand new strategic plan.
Parkin mentioned: “I’ve been supporting the board behind the scenes in an advisory capacity over the past few months. During that time, I’ve come to both admire the business that the team has built and be excited by the potential we have to scale further at home but in particular overseas.”
He added: “Supported by a new CEO in due course, I’m confident we have the right plan and the right people to accelerate our growth and become the trusted, internationally-recognised brand for parenting around the world.”
The corporate presently operates over 60 shops within the UK – together with 40 concessions in M&S and Subsequent — plus over 30 abroad concessions with companions together with El Corte Ingles in Spain, MAP Lively in Indonesia, Central Division Retailer Group in Thailand and Myers in Australia.
In its most up-to-date set of filed accounts, the enterprise reported a 7.1% rise in gross sales for the 12 months to 31 March 2024 of £154.3 million.
