UK Greetings chief James Conn has announced his plans to retire.
James, CEO of International, which includes UK Greetings, Carlton Greetings and John Sands, has been with the company for almost 39 years.
He began his journey at UK Greetings as a trainee in sales and merchandising and moved through various leadership roles before being appointed CEO of International in 2018.
Under James’ transformational leadership, UK Greetings has navigated numerous global challenges and successfully grown the business. In a statement, the company said it would ‘like to express its gratitude for James’ outstanding leadership’.
From March 1 Ceri Stirland will succeed James as CEO of International, reporting directly to the CEO of American Greetings. Ceri has been a valued member of the UK Greetings team for over 20 years, and she brings extensive commercial and marketing experience to her new role. She said: ‘’I am absolutely delighted to be the first woman to be appointed as CEO of UKG International, and I look forward to working closely with the talented team at UKG and our customers.’’
