Charles Tyrwhitt promotes COO to Managing Director role

British men’s shirt, suit and casualwear brand Charles Tyrwhitt has promoted Chief Operating Officer Rebecca Howat to Managing Director.

The appointment follows the recent leadership restructure, under which Luke Kingsnorth was promoted to Group CEO of Bectin Ltd, a holding company for Charles Tyrwhitt, The White Company, and other financial assets.

Howatt's appointment represents an important milestone for the business and reflects Charles Tyrwhitt’s continued focus on strong leadership, operational excellence and long-term sustainable growth.

She has held the COO role since September 2023, having spent almost 13 years at Charles Tyrwhitt since joining from Arcadia Group in September 2013 to take the role of Head of Merchandising.

Her rise through the ranks at Charles Tyrwhitt has seen her in roles including Director of Merchandising, Global Supply Chain & Merchandising Director, and Chief Merchandise & Logistics Officer prior to the COO position.

Kingsnorth said: “I’m delighted to see Rebecca step into the role of Managing Director. She knows Charles Tyrwhitt inside out, brings huge commercial and operational experience, and has a real understanding of what it takes to lead the business. Rebecca has played an important role in the company’s success over the years, and I’m very confident in her ability to build on our strong foundations and lead Charles Tyrwhitt into its next phase of growth.”

Howat added: “I’m thrilled to be stepping into the role of Managing Director at Charles Tyrwhitt. It’s a business I care deeply about, with a brilliant product, a distinctive brand, and an outstanding team behind it. Having been part of the journey for 12 years, I feel incredibly proud of what we’ve built so far and really excited about leading the business into its next chapter."

Charles Tyrwhitt, which was founded by entrepreneur Nick Wheeler in Bristol in 1986 while he was at university, operates over 40 UK stores and 13 stores in the US, having opened a 2,450 sq ft flagship store at 477 Madison Ave in New York in November 2025.

In a new marketing push, last month Charles Tyrwhitt launched a major ‘Summer of Sport’ campaign, bringing together its brand ambassadors England cricketer Joe Root, former cricketer and commentator Stuart Broad, English golfer Luke Donald and New York Yankees baseball player Anthony Volpe for the first time.

Running across out-of-home (OOH), national press, AV, digital and social, the campaign will be supported by a series of exclusive fan experiences and live activations throughout the summer.