REG - IG Design Group PLC - Appointment of Chief Executive Officer Designate

IG DesignAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 6581A  IG Design Group PLC  16 April 2026

16 April 2026

 

IG Design Group plc

(the "Company", the "Group" or "Design Group")

Appointment of Chief Executive Officer Designate

 

IG Design Group plc, a leading designer, innovator and manufacturer across
various celebration and creative categories, is pleased to announce the
appointment of Gerald Kuehr as Chief Executive Officer Designate, with effect
from 1 May 2026. On 1 July 2026, Gerald will assume the role as Chief
Executive Officer and Stewart Gilliland, who has led the Group as Interim
Executive Chair, will revert to his role as Non-Executive Chair upon Gerald's
appointment.

Gerald has been working with Design Group in an advisory capacity to DG Europe
since January 2026, during which time he has gained a deep understanding of
the Group's strategic priorities, operations and customers, many of whom he
has partnered with before. Additionally, he has helped segments of the Group
to refocus its energy on its core business whilst supporting the team in
developing plans to secure new business. His transition into the Chief
Executive Officer role reflects the Board's confidence in his leadership as
the Group continues to strengthen and follows the defined pathway to further
improvement in profitability and long-term value creation.

Gerald brings over 30 years of international leadership experience in blue
chip consumer businesses. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer
of Partner in Pet Food (PPF) from 2020 to 2025, where he repositioned the
business from an Eastern European, volume-driven private-label player into a
pan-European category leader operating across ten markets with 3,000
employees. During his tenure, he also completed five acquisitions.

Prior to this, Gerald held senior global leadership roles at Unilever, most
recently as Global Chief Customer Officer, where he was a member of the Global
Leadership Team with responsibility for sales strategy, commercial excellence
and customer development across 30 markets. He was previously an Associate
Partner at Bain & Company and spent 14 years at Procter & Gamble,
including as General Manager for Germany and Austria.

Gerald Christoph Kuehr, aged 58, has held the following
directorships/partnerships in the past five years:

 Current Directorships/Partnerships  Former Directorships/Partnerships (past five years)
 -                                   Woof Investments SARL

                                     Artemis Acquisitions Topco Limited

                                     Partner in Pet Food Sweden AB

                                     Doggy AB

                                     Partner in Pet Food France SAS

                                     PPF HoldCo B.V.

                                     Partner in Pet Food Group B.V.

                                     Partner in Pet Food NL B.V.

                                     Partner in Pet Food Poland

                                     Partner in Pet Food Hungaria Kft

                                     Kollmax Kft

 

Mr Kuehr is not currently a director of any companies.

Save as set out above, there is no further information to be disclosed in
relation to Mr Kuehr's appointment pursuant to AIM Rule 17 or paragraph (g) of
Schedule Two of the AIM Rules for Companies.

Stewart Gilliland, Chair of IG Design Group plc, commented:

"Having worked with Gerald over the past months, I have seen first-hand the
calibre of his leadership and am therefore delighted that he is joining the
Group as its Chief Executive Officer. The thorough search process, conducted
with external advisors, identified a number of strong candidates, but Gerald's
energy and passion set him apart. This, alongside his exceptionally strong
retail relationships across Europe, his proven track record of commercial
improvement and delivering international growth, particularly within complex
multi-market environments, makes him exceptionally well placed to lead the
Group through its next phase. On behalf of the Board, I warmly welcome him
into the role and look forward to supporting him in the period ahead."

Gerald Kuehr, incoming Chief Executive Officer, added:

"It is a privilege to be stepping into the Chief Executive Officer role at IG
Design Group. My time working with DG Europe has given me an appreciation for
the strength of the Group's portfolio, the talent of its people and the
opportunity ahead. I look forward to working with the Board and to partnering
with our customers, with whom we have excellent relationships with, as we
unlock the Group's full potential."

 

 For further information, please contact:

 IG Design Group plc                            Tel: +44 (0)1525 887310
 Stewart Gilliland, Interim Executive Chair
 Rohan Cummings, Chief Financial Officer

 Canaccord Genuity Limited (Nomad and Broker)   Tel: +44 (0)20 7523 8000
 Bobbie Hilliam
 Elizabeth Halley-Stott

 Alma Strategic Communications                  Tel: +44 (0)20 3405 0205
 Rebecca Sanders-Hewett                         designgroup@almastrategic.com
 Sam Modlin
 Will Merison

 

Notes to Editors:

IG Design Group plc is one of the world's leading designers, innovators and
manufacturers of gift packaging, greeting cards, stationery, creative play
products and related items. The Group designs, sources and manufactures a
broad portfolio of products across multiple categories and occasions,
encompassing every day, seasonal and celebration ranges.

The Group operates across key international markets, with a strong presence in
the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. Its products are sold to a diverse
customer base including major retailers and supermarkets such as Tesco, Costco
and Aldi, as well as discounters, online platforms and independent stores. The
Group's heritage brand, Tom Smith, holds a Royal Warrant for the supply of
Christmas crackers and Christmas wrapping paper to the Royal Family, a
distinction it has held continuously since 1906.

Across IG Design Group's global teams, it manages a portfolio of more than
22,000 SKUs, supplying over 550 million units annually to customers in
approximately 70 countries. The Group operates a vertically integrated model,
combining in‑house design expertise with global sourcing, manufacturing,
distribution and fulfilment capabilities. Its manufacturing footprint includes
three facilities located in Wales, the Netherlands and Poland. This integrated
platform enables the Group to deliver innovative, responsibly sourced products
at scale, while maintaining cost efficiency, speed to market and flexibility.

IG Design Group plc is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

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