AW Hainsworth Appoint New Commercial Director

We are pleased to announce the appointment of a new Commercial Director at AW Hainsworth. Welcome to the team Phil Atherton.

Phil has extensive knowledge of building commercial teams and growing sales across multiple product categories globally. He spent 13 years with John Cotton Home Textiles as Group Sales and Marketing Director, where he doubled sales and was responsible for identifying and growing the European business from nothing during his tenure.

Phil then spent eight years on the main board of Portmeirion Group PLC, where he was responsible for Sales, Marketing, Design, Sourcing, and New Product development. He grew markets in Asia, the Middle East, Australasia, India and across Europe. Phil was responsible for signing the Wrendale. Sophie Conran, Sara Miller, and Ted Baker licenses, bringing significant sales growth to the company.

Most recently, Phil spent just under three years with the private equity-owned gift business Enesco Ltd as Commercial Director for the EMEA markets, with responsibility for growing sales, introducing new categories and attracting multiple new customers.

Phil said, “I am excited to be joining AW Hainsworth at this time, we have ambitious plans for growth and lots of opportunities for the team. It’s early days, but I have spent my first month learning all about the mill and our diverse range of products and customers, and there is so much to be proud of here. I look forward to leading the Commercial Team through the next stages of Hainsworth’s journey.”

As many of you will know, Phil’s appointment means we are saying goodbye to Diane Simpson. Diane’s career at AW Hainsworth spans 36 years; this was her first job as a teenager and she worked her way up to Commercial Director, leading the department successfully over the past few years. We cannot understate Diane’s contribution to the company, and although we are sad to see her depart, we support her in her desire to take on a new challenge. We extend a heartfelt thank you to Diane for all her hard work and appreciate her support in helping Phil settle into the role.

On this new appointment, our MD Amanda McLaren said, “We are grateful for the hard work and care that Diane has poured into AW Hainsworth, and I knew it would be a difficult task to fill her shoes. However, Phil’s global experience in building brands and growing sales make him an excellent addition to the team, and so far he has settled in brilliantly. I look forward to seeing Phil drive the business forward, develop the Commercial Team and help us achieve our challenging growth plans.”

Please join us in welcoming Phil Atherton to the AW Hainsworth team.