Johnstons of Elgin CEO steps down
Simon Cotton, CEO of UK cashmere brand Johnstons of Elgin will step down as CEO and be replaced by Group finance director, Chris Gaffney.
Cotton, who has been CEO since 2013, said: “I joined Johnstons of Elgin almost eight years ago and it has been a tremendous privilege to be part of this amazing team. Coming out of the pandemic was the perfect time to review my future and I feel that now, after we have successfully navigated the last two challenging years, it is the perfect time for me to move on to new things. The shareholders and I share a love of the company and a belief that Johnstons will continue to prosper thanks to the strong plans in place. I leave the business in the very capable hands and will be watching the company’s next steps with excitement and pride.”
Chris Gaffney has served on the Board of Directors since he joined Johnstons of Elgin in 2011. He has held the roles of both Group Finance Director and Managing Director (Elgin Mill).
Jenny Urquhart, chairman of Johnstons of Elgin, said: “Simon‘s strong and thoughtful leadership has steered us through an eight-year period with exceptional success. He’s inspired us all and has carried out his job to great effect and he leaves Johnstons with our sincere gratitude and warmest wishes. We are in no doubt that we have a strong successor in place with Chris Gaffney who has been a key driving force behind the global growth of the business, both within the Johnstons of Elgin brand and the private label clients and who will allow the business to continue moving forwards.”
Earlier in October, Johnstones of Elgin received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for their commitment to sustainability.
