Fractional CEO of Multi-Award-winning, Long Established Milti-Brand Designer Clothing Retailer - Online & Bricks & Mortar

Role Title: Fractional Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Location: Remote (UK-based), with travel to Northern England (approximately 1x per month or quarterly, to be negotiated)

Commitment: Approximately 3+ days per month

Remuneration: £700 per day (plus full package negotiable)

Contract Type: Fixed-term / Fractional / Part-time (with potential to scale)

Start Date: As soon as possible

About the Company

We are a multi-award-winning independent fashion retailer, founded 40+ years ago, offering both men’s and women’s designer clothing, shoes and accessories. With a reputation for curating a best-in-class mix of globally celebrated luxury labels alongside hard-to-find emerging brands, the company has become a destination for discerning style-led customers. It operates both a strong bricks-and-mortar presence and a growing international online business.

The business is helmed by its founders—a husband-and-wife team—who have built the business from a single womenswear store in 40+ years ago, through to multiple boutiques and a thriving online platform. Their entrepreneurial spirit, relentless eye for product and global sourcing, and industry-recognised achievements (including the founder receiving a lifetime-achievement award) underpin the brand culture and ambition for the next growth phase.

The opportunity: to join as Fractional CEO and lead the next chapter of this independent fashion icon—driving strategic growth, digital acceleration, international expansion, and value creation.

The Opportunity

This is truly a career-defining role. Working alongside the owner-directors, you will act as the strategic captain of the ship at a pivotal moment in the company’s journey. The business has had its challenges (as many independent fashion retailers have) but is now entering a period of accelerated growth, especially online; you will be tasked with converting that momentum into sustainable scale, profitability and enterprise value.

In this fractional role you will bring high-level leadership, investment-readiness, and commercial rigour—while preserving the unique independent, curated, design-led DNA of the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the company’s strategic growth roadmap, aligned with the founders’ vision and evolving market dynamics.

• Lead the business through a phase of expansion: growing online sales & international shipping, and enhancing the multi-channel retail footprint.

• Secure strategic investment or capital partnerships to fund growth, digital infrastructure and potential M&A or strategic acquisitions.

• Optimize the full P&L: improving EBITDA margins, enhancing commercial performance and increasing enterprise value.

• Ensure operations, supply chain, logistics (UK warehouse) and brand partnerships are fit for scale.

• Drive brand-and-culture alignment across physical stores, online, concessions and wholesale channels.

• Build high-performing leadership teams, setting KPIs, governance and reporting frameworks appropriate for growth and investment readiness.

• Act as key liaison between founders/owners, investors, board (if applicable), senior leadership and external stakeholders (capital markets, advisors).

Ideal Candidate Profile

• A senior executive (former MD or CEO) with a proven track-record in UK retail or fashion brand business—ideally household names.

• Demonstrable experience in raising growth capital and/or executing M&A for mid-sized retail businesses.

• Strong experience in multi-channel retail: e-commerce (DTC), wholesale, concessions, physical stores and marketplace models.

• Strategic mindset combined with commercial discipline: you can turn vision into execution, and deliver improved margins and enterprise value.

• Excellent stakeholder-management skills: you are comfortable working with founders, investors, board members, and operational teams.

• Passion for designer fashion, curation, brand discovery and independent retail DNA is preferred.

• Comfortable with a fractional role (approx. 3+ days/month) and able to operate remotely while travelling periodically for key store/warehouse/team meetings.

First-Year Objectives

Secure Growth Funding: Raise a significant sum of growth capital (or equivalent strategic investment) within 6-9 months to fund digital and international expansion initiatives.

Online & International Sales Acceleration: Increase online revenue by 30+% year-on-year, and grow international (outside UK) revenue from existing ~20 % share to 30 % within 12 months.

Improve EBITDA Margin & Enterprise Value: Improve overall EBITDA margin by several percentage points by year-end, and implement a clear enterprise-value improvement plan (including inventory optimisation, cost base review, and scalable infrastructure).

Why This Role Matters

• You join a multi-award-winning fashion business with a distinguished heritage and strong brand equity.

• You will work alongside entrepreneurial founders who have deep product knowledge, a global sourcing mindset, and a highly curated designer offering.

• You have the autonomy to lead and shape the future of the business at a transformational time—without being a full-time CEO, giving flexibility and high impact.

• This is a unique opportunity to drive meaningful company value, set the strategic direction, and leave a legacy as the executive who powered the next growth chapter of an independent fashion icon.

We are looking for a stand-out candidate at the peak of their career who brings with them a lifetime of experience, a CV packed with well-known names large & small and a strong network. We need capability, expertise and visionary strategic capability to elevate this bellwether independent to new heights.