The chief executive of pottery-giant Portmeirion has stepped down after 25 years with the company.
Lawrence Bryan has announced his retirement from the role at the Stoke-based firm, but has agreed to continue with the business and stay on the board as a non-executive director.
Group finance director Mike Raybould has been appointed as Mr Bryan's successor and will take up the role of Portmeirion's chief executive from today. (September 2)
Meanwhile, David Sproston - previously group financial controller and finance director of Portmeirion - will now become group finance director.
Lawrence Bryan, outgoing chief executive, said: " After nearly 25 years with Portmeirion and nearly 20 of them as chief executive, it is with no small degree of sadness that I am stepping down from my executive role with the group.
"I leave in place a very strong team of senior management in whom I have supreme confidence."
"I am honoured to have been of service to the company in the past and delighted to be invited to continue to serve on the board of directors as a non-executive.
"The group is now a well-diversified company with a bright future and I look forward to seeing it grow under the extremely capable and energetic guidance of Mike Raybould."
Portmeirion chairman Dick Steele said: " On behalf of the board, the company, our people and our shareholders, I thank Lawrence for his service and wish him and his wife Wendy a happy and well-earned retirement.
"I struggle to find words that are adequate to describe the huge contribution that Lawrence has made to the group. Without his leadership, commercial expertise, commitment and perspicacity the Group would not be the force that it is in homewares today.
"I am delighted that he has agreed to continue to serve on the Board in a non-executive capacity. The group and executive team will continue to benefit from Lawrence’s unparalleled sector knowledge, built up over more than 40 years."
