Giles Willits takes top finance job at IG Design Group

Designer and manufacturer of celebration, gifting, stationery and creative play products IG Design Group announced the appointment of Giles Willits as its chief financial officer on Tuesday.

The AIM-traded firm said Willits would replace Anthony Lawrinson, who was stepping down from the board as it announced previously, effective from 2 January.

It said 51-year-old Willits was bringing more than 20 years of experience in senior leadership and financial roles in multiple household name businesses.

He was most recently the chief financial officer of Entertainment One, having joined prior to its IPO on AIM in 2007.

The IG Design board said Willits was “pivotal” in eOne’s transition from AIM into a “leading global FTSE 250 entertainment company” and a household name, with properties such as Peppa Pig, the BFG and ‘12 Years a Slave’ in its portfolio.

During his tenure, eOne grew revenues to more than £1bn, and completed a number of strategic acquisitions including Alliance Films, the Mark Gordon Company and Peppa Pig.

Willits was also previously the director of group finance at J Sainsbury and the now-defunct Woolworths Group, and qualified as a chartered accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“We are delighted to welcome Giles to the group and the board,” said IG’s non-executive chairman John Charlton.

“Giles has a wealth of experience working with major retail and media brands that we can draw upon and he will be an invaluable asset for the group now and as we grow.

“Giles is joining at an exciting time for [IG] Design Group, as it embarks on its next stage of growth and we very much look forward to working with him to continue our successful journey.”