Executive appointments gather pace across UK consumer brands
Senior executive recruitment activity is gaining momentum across the UK consumer sector, with a number of C-suite appointments announced in recent days across food manufacturing, retail and digitally led brands.
The latest moves point to a market where businesses are actively reshaping leadership teams to support succession planning, omnichannel growth and financial resilience.
Hilltop Food Group formalises CEO succession
Hilltop Food Group has appointed a new chief executive officer as part of a planned leadership transition, with founder Scott Davies moving into a new role within the business.
Founder Scott Davies is moving into a new strategic role, marking a clear shift from founder-led operations to a more conventional executive structure. While details of the incoming CEO’s background were not disclosed in the initial announcement, the move signals a focus on long-term scalability and governance as the business continues to grow beyond its entrepreneurial roots.
For founder-owned FMCG businesses, this kind of transition is often pivotal. It can unlock fresh operational expertise while allowing founders to remain closely involved in vision, culture and brand stewardship — without carrying the day-to-day execution load.
Gymshark promotes from within to expand C-suite
Gymshark has promoted Carly Natalizia to chief commercial officer, expanding the scope of its senior leadership team as the brand continues its transition towards a fully omnichannel business model.
Formerly Chief Digital Officer, Natalizia will now oversee Gymshark’s full commercial strategy, including scaling new revenue channels, introducing new products and driving the brand’s transition towards a fully omnichannel model. Crucially, she will continue to own the optimisation of Gymshark’s digital journey — a signal that ecommerce remains core, not secondary, to the brand’s future.
Having joined Gymshark four years ago as Vice President of Marketing, and later stepping into the CDO role in 2024, Natalizia has been a key figure in the brand’s evolution from digitally native disruptor to global performancewear business.
Commenting on her appointment, she said the opportunity to lead commercial activity while protecting the digital experience at the heart of Gymshark was something she felt “hugely passionate about”.
The move reflects a broader trend among digitally born brands: rather than separating digital and commercial leadership, the two are increasingly being fused.
JoJo Maman Bébé strengthens finance leadership
JoJo Maman Bébé has appointed Heather Wood-Stringer as its new chief financial officer, succeeding Paul Driver.
Wood-Stringer joins the mother-and-baby retailer from her most recent role as chief financial officer at Seraphine, a position she held between 2023 and 2025. Her appointment further strengthens JoJo Maman Bébé’s executive leadership team at a time when financial stewardship and operational discipline remain high priorities across the UK retail sector.
CFO appointments continue to represent one of the most active areas of C-suite recruitment in consumer retail, as brands seek senior finance leaders with deep sector knowledge and experience navigating complex trading environments.
Targeted C-suite hiring remains active
Collectively, the appointments highlight a C-suite recruitment market that is active but highly selective. CEO, CFO and senior commercial roles remain the most in-demand at board level, with organisations prioritising leaders who can balance growth ambitions with operational control.
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