Card Factory PLC (LON:CARD) has appointed former Clinton Cards boss Darcy Willson-Rymer as its new chief executive officer.
Willson-Rymer is joining the retailer from Costcutter Supermarkets, where he held the CEO role for eight years during a period of change at the grocer, including the development of a new operating model as well as the introduction of a data and insights-led business growth programme.
Prior to that he was chief executive at Clinton Cards and has held managerial roles at Starbucks Coffee Company, KFC and Pizza Hut.
READ: Card Factory envisions strong online growth over the next five years
Willson-Rymer is filling the shoes of Karen Hubbard, who left in the summer after agreeing with the group's board it was time to find new leadership to implement the next phase of the retailer’s return to growth.
“Darcy has excellent credentials and experience to lead Card Factory through the next phase of our evolution and to continue to lead the implementation of the refreshed strategy,” said Paul Moody, executive chairman at the greetings cards retailer in a statement.
“He has experienced successfully leading a complex, multi-site retail business in Costcutter, held senior positions in two customer service-centred global branded businesses in Starbucks and Yum, in particular, where he led a business with an operating model encompassing both owned and franchised units.”
Shares dropped 10% to 39.85p on Monday in early trading.
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