Seraphine names Williams new CFO

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Dec 22, 2021

Seraphine has found a big-hitter to take up its chief financial officer post with the company on Wednesday announcing that Lee Williams, formerly of now-privatised French Connection and of ASOS has taken the role.

The digital-first maternity-wear and nursing-wear retailer has named Lee Williams as CFO of the group and an executive director of the business. He joins “in the first half of 2022”.

As mentioned, he’s currently CFO and company secretary at French Connection and had been group director of finance at ASOS between December 2014 and April 2016, including nine months as interim CFO. 

After gaining his ACMA qualification, Williams has held a number of financial and management consultancy roles in the retail sector.

His appointment comes after the firm said John Bailey is to step down as finance director “to pursue other opportunities”. He will remain with Seraphine “for a sufficient time so as to ensure a smooth transition of the finance function to Lee Williams after he joins the business”.

CEO David Williams said: “Lee is a strong commercial and strategic CFO with experience in both growth and established businesses and recent listed business experience. I look forward to working with him and the executive leadership team as we continue to deliver the next phase of Seraphine’s growth strategy.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank John Bailey for his significant contribution to the business over the last eight years. Under his tenure as finance director, John’s work has been integral to the business, particularly as we moved from private to public ownership. I know he is proud of what he has helped to achieve, and we are all immensely grateful to him for his invaluable contribution to our growth story.”