Denby appoints new managing director

After serving 10 years with Denby Pottery, managing director Garry Biggs is leaving the business to pursue other opportunities.

The chairman of Denby Holding Limited and chief executive of Hilco Capital Paul McGowan commented: “I would like to thank Garry for his leadership and contribution to the business during his time with Denby Pottery.”

Paul McGowan also confirmed Sebastian Lazell will be joining the Denby Group on January 12 as managing director. He joins Denby from GHD where he was chief executive. Prior to that, Sebastian ran his own consultancy business and spent a number of years at Unilever, becoming managing director of the business in Australasia and undertaking a number of senior international general management and marketing roles. He said: “I’m very excited to be joining Denby Pottery. It is a great brand with a lot of history and I’m looking forward to taking the Group forward into the next stage of its development.”

Meanwhile, the shareholders and the board of Denby Pottery have decided ‘to formally bring the business sale process that was commenced in February 2014 to an end, following another successful period of trading in 2014’. They said: ‘The ongoing performance of the business and growth, led by our international markets, have convinced us that Denby’s strong performance will continue to build in the coming years.’

Denby Pottery was established in 1809 and continues to produce its stoneware product from its manufacturing base at Denby in Derbyshire. Denby Pottery was acquired by a subsidiary of financial services company Hilco Capital in February 2009; subsequently Denby Pottery acquired Burgess and Leigh Limited, based at the Middleport Pottery in Stoke on Trent in July 2010. In June 2011 it was announced Denby Pottery acquired Poole Pottery, based at Poole in Dorset.