Fashion firm announces change of finance director

Cheshire-based online fashion firm Sosandar has announced the appointment of a finance director.

Stephen Dilks will take over from James Bowling, head of finance, who has decided to step down to pursue other opportunities.

Having spent the past 11 years with Regatta, the outdoor apparel business, including for the past five years as finance director, Stephen has supported its consistent double-digit growth across multiple brands, countries and channels, including wholesale, own retail, concessions and online.

Stephen has been the finance lead for several key strategic projects including the group’s Brexit planning and the implementation of group-wide new IT systems.

Prior to his tenure at Regatta, Stephen held a number of roles in retail and FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), including Kraft Foods and The Co-Operative Group.

The Sosandar board expects that Stephen will be appointed to the board once he has settled into his new role, subject to the satisfactory completion of the necessary regulatory requirements.

He will join Sosandar on September 7, and James will remain in his role until September 18, to ensure an orderly handover.

Ali Hall and Julie Lavington, Sosandar joint CEOs, said: “James has been an integral part of Sosandar’s journey so far, both in the early days, through our listing and our tremendous growth and development since.

“We are incredibly grateful for all the hard work he put into the business and take this opportunity to wish him well in his future endeavours.

“We are very pleased to be welcoming Stephen to the company, his extensive knowledge of finance and operations in a growing retail brand will be invaluable through our journey ahead.

“Notwithstanding the current environment, the opportunity for Sosandar is significant.

“With his experience across brands and markets, Stephen is well placed to work alongside us to deliver continued growth and shareholder value going forward.”