Appointment of Chief Executive Officer Designate

IG Design Group PLC

16 April 2026

 

16 April 2026

IG Design Group plc

(the "Company", the "Group" or "Design Group")

Appointment of Chief Executive Officer Designate

IG Design Group plc, a leading designer, innovator and manufacturer across various celebration and creative categories, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gerald Kuehr as Chief Executive Officer Designate, with effect from 1 May 2026. On 1 July 2026, Gerald will assume the role as Chief Executive Officer and Stewart Gilliland, who has led the Group as Interim Executive Chair, will revert to his role as Non-Executive Chair upon Gerald's appointment.

Gerald has been working with Design Group in an advisory capacity to DG Europe since January 2026, during which time he has gained a deep understanding of the Group's strategic priorities, operations and customers, many of whom he has partnered with before. Additionally, he has helped segments of the Group to refocus its energy on its core business whilst supporting the team in developing plans to secure new business. His transition into the Chief Executive Officer role reflects the Board's confidence in his leadership as the Group continues to strengthen and follows the defined pathway to further improvement in profitability and long-term value creation.

Gerald brings over 30 years of international leadership experience in blue chip consumer businesses. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Partner in Pet Food (PPF) from 2020 to 2025, where he repositioned the business from an Eastern European, volume-driven private-label player into a pan-European category leader operating across ten markets with 3,000 employees. During his tenure, he also completed five acquisitions.

Prior to this, Gerald held senior global leadership roles at Unilever, most recently as Global Chief Customer Officer, where he was a member of the Global Leadership Team with responsibility for sales strategy, commercial excellence and customer development across 30 markets. He was previously an Associate Partner at Bain & Company and spent 14 years at Procter & Gamble, including as General Manager for Germany and Austria.

Gerald Christoph Kuehr, aged 58, has held the following directorships/partnerships in the past five years:

Current Directorships/Partnerships	Former Directorships/Partnerships (past five years)
-	Woof Investments SARL Artemis Acquisitions Topco Limited Partner in Pet Food Sweden AB Doggy AB Partner in Pet Food France SAS PPF HoldCo B.V. Partner in Pet Food Group B.V. Partner in Pet Food NL B.V. Partner in Pet Food Poland Partner in Pet Food Hungaria Kft Kollmax Kft

Mr Kuehr is not currently a director of any companies.

Save as set out above, there is no further information to be disclosed in relation to Mr Kuehr's appointment pursuant to AIM Rule 17 or paragraph (g) of Schedule Two of the AIM Rules for Companies.

Stewart Gilliland, Chair of IG Design Group plc, commented:

"Having worked with Gerald over the past months, I have seen first-hand the calibre of his leadership and am therefore delighted that he is joining the Group as its Chief Executive Officer. The thorough search process, conducted with external advisors, identified a number of strong candidates, but Gerald's energy and passion set him apart. This, alongside his exceptionally strong retail relationships across Europe, his proven track record of commercial improvement and delivering international growth, particularly within complex multi-market environments, makes him exceptionally well placed to lead the Group through its next phase. On behalf of the Board, I warmly welcome him into the role and look forward to supporting him in the period ahead."

Gerald Kuehr, incoming Chief Executive Officer, added:

"It is a privilege to be stepping into the Chief Executive Officer role at IG Design Group. My time working with DG Europe has given me an appreciation for the strength of the Group's portfolio, the talent of its people and the opportunity ahead. I look forward to working with the Board and to partnering with our customers, with whom we have excellent relationships with, as we unlock the Group's full potential."

For further information, please contact:
IG Design Group plc	Tel: [phone]
Stewart Gilliland, Interim Executive Chair
Rohan Cummings, Chief Financial Officer
Canaccord Genuity Limited (Nomad and Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Bobbie Hilliam
Elizabeth Halley-Stott
Alma Strategic Communications	Tel: [phone]
Rebecca Sanders-Hewett	[e-mail]
Sam Modlin
Will Merison

Notes to Editors:

IG Design Group plc is one of the world's leading designers, innovators and manufacturers of gift packaging, greeting cards, stationery, creative play products and related items. The Group designs, sources and manufactures a broad portfolio of products across multiple categories and occasions, encompassing every day, seasonal and celebration ranges.

The Group operates across key international markets, with a strong presence in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. Its products are sold to a diverse customer base including major retailers and supermarkets such as Tesco, Costco and Aldi, as well as discounters, online platforms and independent stores. The Group's heritage brand, Tom Smith, holds a Royal Warrant for the supply of Christmas crackers and Christmas wrapping paper to the Royal Family, a distinction it has held continuously since 1906.

Across IG Design Group's global teams, it manages a portfolio of more than 22,000 SKUs, supplying over 550 million units annually to customers in approximately 70 countries. The Group operates a vertically integrated model, combining in‑house design expertise with global sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and fulfilment capabilities. Its manufacturing footprint includes three facilities located in Wales, the Netherlands and Poland. This integrated platform enables the Group to deliver innovative, responsibly sourced products at scale, while maintaining cost efficiency, speed to market and flexibility.

IG Design Group plc is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

 

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