Fat Face CEO Anthony Thompson to depart next year

Fat Face has announced that CEO Anthony Thompson will be leaving the business at the start of next year and has said a successor will be announced soon.

Thompson, who has led the business for nine years, said he leaves it "in good shape" and that it "feels the right time for the business and for me personally to move on to new challenges and the next stage of my career."

“I shall miss Fat Face and would like to thank all the team who have been so supportive. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to lead such a great business,” he added.

Lord Rose, who is chairman of the business, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, said: “I would like to thank Anthony on behalf of the board for his significant contribution to the company over the past nine years and wish him every success with his future plans.

“We expect to announce his successor shortly to enable a smooth transition to allow us to build on progress over the last few years as we enter a new period of growth and investment.”

Thompson is a seasoned retail executive and before joining Fat Face held senior roles at George at Asda, Marks & Spencer and Next. 

Fat Face began life in 1988 when its two founders started selling t-shirts from a camper van at a French ski resort. It went on to open its first store in 1992. It now has 170 stores in the UK, as well as 11 in the US.