Jones Bootmaker and Brantano CEO to step down

UK footwear retailers Jones Bootmaker and Brantano have confirmed that chief executive David Short intends to step down this autumn.

In a statement the footwear group said that Short was stepping down in October after completing his task of overseeing the restructuring of the group and creating a “solid platform for growth” following the acquisition by Alteri Investors in October 2015.

In addition, Jones Bootmaker and Brantano have also appointed David Riddiford as the new executive chairman.

Riddiford is an experienced retailer with significant expertise in building leading retail brands throughout the UK and international markets and he has held numerous senior managerial roles over the last thirty years including global chief executive of Links of London. Most recently he was the UK chief executive of Danish jewellery company Trollbeads.

Riddiford’s appointment is the latest in a series of hires at Jones Bootmaker and Brantano, aimed at driving the next stage of both companies’ development. Ben Harness was named the newly created director of multi-channel, while Neil Holden was appointed as the new head of IT to help both Jones and Brantano deliver a complete customer experience across all retail channels.

Jones Bootmaker and Brantano name new executive chairman

At Jones Bootmaker, Sarah Davies, former Dorothy Perkins and Marks and Spencer, joined as chief product officer in June, and Barbara Lucas was named as head of design in May. Both will work closely with retail operations director Dan Shaw to relaunch the Jones Bootmaker brand later this year.

Gavin George, chief executive of Alteri said: “We welcome the addition of David Riddiford, a highly skilled practitioner with an excellent track record of leading retail businesses to growth. We are confident that under his guidance, Jones Bootmaker and Brantano will be able to re-establish their status in the UK market, and potentially overseas.

“We would also like to thank David Short for his hard work and commitment to the business in the last 8 years during both Alteri’s and Macintosh Retail Group’s ownership.”

Commenting on his appointment, David Riddiford added: “I’m really excited by the opportunity to help Jones Bootmaker and Brantano reclaim their market leading positions and greatly look forward to working with the talented teams of both businesses.

“With an enhanced customer proposition, I’m confident that we can build on Jones’ impressive heritage in contemporary craftsmanship and Brantano’s distinct value for money positioning.”

Image: Jones Bootmaker AW16