Jonathan Blanchard to replace Amanda James as Next CFO in 2024

After 28 years of service, Amanda James, Next's chief financial officer, has decided to retire from full time work, and will step down from the board with effect from July 26, 2024.

“We are pleased to announce that Amanda’s successor will be Jonathan Blanchard, currently CFO at Reiss. Jonathan will join Next in February 2024 and take over as CFO in July 2024 and also join the board of Next plc at that time,” the company said.

Amanda James to leave Next in September 2024

The company said in a statement that James plans to leave the group on September 26, 2024 following Next’s interim results.

“Amanda has been planning this change for some time and it coincides with her husband’s retirement. Amanda has made a huge contribution to the group in her 28 years with Next and has been an exceptional guardian of our finances. Our financial position today is testament to her diligence and hard work,” the Next added.

Jonathan Blanchard to step in as Next CFO

Blanchard is currently the CFO and chief operating officer of the Reiss Group, having joined the company as a board director in 2017.

He qualified as a Certified Chartered Accountant in 1994 and has over thirty years of experience in finance. The last twenty five years of his career have been at board level in private equity backed businesses, all of which were in the retail/consumer sectors.

The company further said: “Jonathan played a critical role at Reiss, not least negotiating and implementing the transition to Total Platform. We have worked closely with Jonathan for over three years and believe that his skills are well suited to Next’s financial disciplines and its culture.”