Chief Executive Officer — Premium-Brands Portfolio

The mandate

A premium consumer-goods portfolio has grown through acquisition across personal, home and lifestyle categories. Several brands retain loyal customers and pricing authority, but the combined business has accumulated overlapping propositions, regional variants and channel exceptions. Retail, wholesale, travel, marketplace and direct channels sometimes carry similar products at incompatible prices, while innovation teams continue to add launches faster than low-value ranges are removed.

Reported revenue has held up, yet contribution and cash are weaker than the brand story suggests. Promotions and marketplace leakage blur realised price; minimum production runs create slow inventory; and central teams support categories that do not use their capabilities consistently. A broad cost programme would miss the strategic problem. The board wants an explicit choice on which brands, categories, markets and channels deserve investment and what will be sold, licensed, harvested or closed.

The Chief Executive Officer will carry full portfolio and P&L accountability. The remit spans brand and category strategy, channel architecture, pricing, innovation, supply, digital commerce, leadership and capital allocation. The CEO must protect the distinct meaning of premium brands while ending complexity that customers do not value and the business cannot afford.

Approximately 700 employees and material partners sit within the operating perimeter across the United Kingdom and international markets. The role is based in London with a hybrid pattern, reports to the group board and Group Chief Executive and is an urgent new appointment. It is one of a limited number of direct retained mandates and requires discreet engagement before the identity is released.

Why this seat is open

The portfolio has been governed through category and regional leaders, with the Group Chief Executive arbitrating conflicts. Acquisition integration and margin pressure have made that arrangement too slow. The board has created a dedicated CEO seat so one executive owns portfolio consequences rather than negotiating incremental compromise among brand teams.

What you will own

• Define the three-year portfolio thesis by brand, category, market and channel and specify investment, hold, licence, divest, harvest and exit decisions.
• Carry a P&L and capital perimeter above GBP 600 million and lead approximately 700 employees and material partners.
• Rebuild brand architecture and proposition boundaries so distinct customer needs, price ladders and channel roles are explicit.
• Simplify SKUs, variants and innovation, releasing inventory, supplier, marketing and management capacity while protecting hero products and legitimate local needs.
• Set channel and marketplace governance across wholesale, retail, travel and direct commerce, including pricing, assortment, data, inventory and conflict rules.
• Create full contribution and cash visibility after promotions, returns, commissions, freight, fulfilment, inventory and central cost.
• Select and develop the leadership team, aligning brand accountability with shared supply, digital and enabling capabilities.
• Represent the portfolio with strategic retailers, distributors, investors and partners through sensitive changes in range and relationship.

The first 12 months

• Days 1–90: Reconcile brand, SKU, channel and customer economics; identify inventory and relationship risks and meet selected consumers, retailers, partners and teams. Establish portfolio criteria and freeze launches or variants without a complete proposition and contribution case.
• Months 4–9: Secure board approval for the portfolio and channel choices, make leadership decisions and execute first range, pricing and distribution changes. Start any licence, divestment or exit process with protected continuity and brand rights. Reallocate innovation and marketing to chosen priorities.
• Months 10–12: Demonstrate cleaner contribution, inventory and price realisation in priority brands, complete the first major portfolio transaction or closure and publish a funded two-year growth and capability plan. Establish successors for brand, commercial, supply and digital leadership.

What the board will measure

• Portfolio capital and leadership attention concentrated on approved brands, markets and channels, with exit decisions actually executed.
• Contribution and cash improvement after promotions, channel cost, returns, fulfilment and inventory.
• Reduction in low-value SKUs and variants without deterioration in hero-product availability or priority customer retention.
• Improved realised price and lower uncontrolled channel conflict or marketplace leakage.
• Innovation investment tied to defined propositions and commercial evidence, with fewer launches that fail repeat or margin gates.
• A coherent leadership model and successors across critical brand and enterprise roles.

The person

You are a portfolio CEO, divisional president, premium-brand group leader or consumer-goods general manager with at least 28 years of experience. You have simplified an acquired or multi-brand portfolio and made divest, licence or closure decisions. You have owned a P&L of at least GBP 500 million and led at least 500 employees across several markets.

You understand premium economics beyond gross margin. You can work through price realisation, retailer terms, direct fulfilment, returns, marketplace leakage, inventory and brand investment. You have protected a valuable brand while reducing its range or channels and can show the subsequent effect on consumers, cash and contribution.

Relevant backgrounds include beauty, personal care, home, lifestyle, food or other branded consumer categories. Luxury experience may qualify where scale and multi-channel operations are comparable. A pure marketing leader must demonstrate full P&L, supply and portfolio accountability.

The role is based in London with hybrid work and substantial international travel. Candidates elsewhere may qualify with relocation. The CEO must make choices that disappoint capable teams and partners while preserving respect, brand stewardship and executable transition.

Compensation and terms

The expected base salary is GBP 350,000–520,000, with annual incentive and long-term participation. Measures will balance portfolio choices, brand health, contribution, cash, inventory and leadership. This is a permanent urgent new appointment. Relocation and verified forfeited awards may be considered.

Confidentiality

The client, brands, transactions and commercial relationships are confidential. Identifying material will be released only after suitability and the required agreement are established. Candidates must not contact retailers, investors or employees to infer the group.

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