French Connection names group finance director

Fashion retailer French Connection has confirmed Asos director Lee Williams will take up the role of group finance director, left vacant by Adam Castleton in July 2015.

Williams, who has served as director of finance for Asos for the last 15 months, will take up his new role with French Connection on April 4. Prior to Asos, Williams was chief financial officer of Worldstores and head of financial planning and analysis at Brighthouse Group, and he worked with Morrisons and Kingfisher where he held a variety of senior finance roles.

French Connection chairman Stephen Marks said: “I am delighted that Lee is joining us. He has extensive experience of working in senior finance roles at a number of retail businesses, but latterly with a specific focus in the digital environment.”

In addition, French Connection also announced the appointment of Christos Angelides as an independent non-executive director with immediate effect. He will also serve as a member of the audit and remuneration committees. Angelides has spent most of his career at Next in a number of senior management roles, including group product director on Next’s main board. More recently, he was president of Abercrombie & Fitch and Abercrombie Kids in the USA.

Marks added: “We are also pleased that Christos is joining the French Connection Board. He brings substantial experience in fashion retailing in both the UK and USA and the Board will benefit from his knowledge and insight.”

Earlier this week, French Connection reported that its annual loss widened to 4.7 million pounds for the year ending January 31, and that its revenue also fell 8 percent to 164.2 million pounds.

Image: French Connection