Peter Williams, Jack Wills’s founder and majority shareholder will return the fashion retailer as CEO two years after he stepped aside, the company said on Wednesday. Williams will replace Wendy Becker who decided to leave the company after the board withdrew IPO plans.
Wendy joined Jack Wills three years ago as COO and became CEO in 2013 to lead the business to an IPO. She will remain a shareholder in the company after stepping down.
"Wendy has been instrumental in building a talented senior operating team and recently steered the group through its sixteenth consecutive year of growth. The board would like to thank her for her passion and commitment, and wish her all the best for the future," the company said in a statement.
Since he stepped down as CEO in 2012, Williams has remained closely involved with Jack Wills, the business he founded in a small shop in Salcombe, Devon in 1999.
"I am extremely excited about resuming my role as Jack Wills’s CEO after a two-year break. I would like to thank Wendy for her significant contribution to the business and for putting in place the people and the processes that will enable us to continue our growth. I’m looking forward to working with the whole team to prepare Jack Wills for its best ever Christmas and ensure that our fabulous clothes are in everyone’s stockings," said Williams.