Joules CEO to become Moss Bros chairman

British menswear retailer Moss Bros has announced the appointment of Joules CEO Colin Porter as a non-executive director, with immediate effect.

Porter, who has been the CEO of Joules since 2010 and oversaw the successful IPO of the business on to AIM in May 2016, will become chairman of Moss Bros when Debbie Hewitt retires in May.

“I am delighted to have delivered on my commitment to provide a strong successor and well planned transition. As well as his proven multi-channel experience, Colin brings broad strategic, international, retailing skills, within a private and listed board environment,” Hewitt said in a statement.

“I am sure that he will bring strong leadership to our Board and all of the skills required for the next stage in our development. We look forward very much to welcoming him.”

Commenting on his new role, Porter added: “I am really excited to be joining the board and taking up the role of chairman of Moss Bros, which is a company with a great heritage, committed colleagues and tremendous opportunities for growth. I am looking forward to working with Brian Brick, our CEO and the rest of the team.”

In January, Moss Bros reported 0.6 percent rise in total sales ahead of last year and a drop of 1 percent on a like for like basis for the 23 week period to January 5, 2019, including the Christmas trading period.