Appointment of New CEO

Ultimate Products PLC

26 May 2026

 

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION AS DEFINED UNDER ASSIMILATED REGULATION (EU) NO. 596/2014 WHICH IS PART OF THE LAWS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 (AS AMENDED)

26 May 2026

Ultimate Products plc

("Ultimate Products", "UP" or "the Group")

APPOINTMENT OF NEW CEO

Ultimate Products, the owner of a number of leading homeware brands including Salter (the UK's oldest housewares brand, established in 1760) and Beldray (established in 1872), announces the appointment of Simon Harrison as Chief Executive Officer, following a thorough search process. Simon is currently the CEO of Princes Group PLC (LSE: PRN), the FTSE 250 international food and drink company, and will join Ultimate Products as CEO designate on 5 September 2026 before assuming the role of CEO on 26 October 2026.

Simon is a seasoned executive with over 25 years' FMCG commercial and leadership experience across brand and trade marketing, sales and operations. He joined Princes Group as Chief Commercial Officer in July 2021,
before quickly progressing to the role of Deputy Managing Director and subsequently Chief Executive Officer during which time the business went through a change of ownership and more recently was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Prior to joining Princes Group, Simon spent nearly two decades at Coca Cola European Partners (LSE: CCEP), the world's largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, where he held a range of senior roles including Vice President Commercial Development and Marketing Director.

Simon is replacing Andrew Gossage, who has notified the Board of his intention to step down as CEO with effect from 26 October 2026, following more than 20 years in executive roles with the Group. After a short sabbatical, Andrew will continue with the Group as a Non-Executive Director from 1 May 2027. As part of these changes, Simon Showman, who founded the business in 1997 and served as CEO until 2024, will move to a Non-Executive Director role with effect from 1 June 2026, while continuing as President and Founder.

Following these changes, the Board will comprise two Executive Directors and six Non-Executive Directors, of whom four are Independent Non-Executive Directors, including the Independent Non-Executive Chair.  This will ensure the Board continues to reflect a diversity of expertise from operational, financial, sector-specific and general business background. The Board is committed to ensuring that it continues to have an appropriate balance of skills, experience, independence and knowledge of the Group and its sector to enable it to discharge its duties and responsibilities effectively.

Christine Adshead, Chair of Ultimate Products, said: "We are delighted to welcome someone of Simon Harrison's calibre to Ultimate Products. He brings outstanding leadership qualities, strong operating discipline and considerable commercial experience, and we are confident that he has the right credentials to take Ultimate Products forward into its next chapter. We look forward to welcoming him to the team.

"Andrew has made an extraordinary contribution to Ultimate Products in more than two decades with the Group. He was a driving force behind UP's evolution from a sourcing business into the Home of Brands, navigated the business through the operational challenges of the COVID period, and played a leading role in building the Group's online business, which has grown twelvefold since IPO. He was also central in establishing our Graduate Development Scheme, and more recently, has overseen the Group's groundbreaking automation programme.

"Without Simon Showman, who founded the business and led it for 27 years, there would be no Ultimate Products. He has been fundamental to UP's development from a founder‑led sourcing business into the multi‑brand homewares group it is today. Simon's entrepreneurial approach and sharp commercial instincts have shaped the business and the fast-moving culture that underpins it. Under his leadership, the Group built a diversified portfolio of brands, established deep and enduring retailer relationships, and expanded its international footprint, while remaining rooted in the values and ambition that have defined it from the outset."

"I know I speak for everyone at Ultimate Products in thanking Andrew and Simon for their exceptional endeavours, dedication and loyalty, and we are delighted that they will remain with the Group as Non-Executive Directors."

Simon Harrison, Incoming CEO of Ultimate Products, said: "Ultimate Products is a business with significant potential, based on a portfolio that includes some of the best-known brands in UK homeware, and supported by long-standing customer relationships and a scalable commercial model. I am delighted to be taking on the CEO role from Andrew Gossage, who alongside Simon Showman, has built and developed the business into the strong platform it is today. This represents an exciting personal opportunity for me, and I look forward to working with the Board and the wider team to lead the business into what I am confident will be a bright future."

Andrew Gossage, Outgoing CEO of Ultimate Products, said: "Ultimate Products has been a hugely important part of my life for the past two decades, and I am enormously proud of the successful, diversified business we have built. As CEO, part of my focus has been to ensure the business is well prepared for the future, including putting in place the right leadership, structure and succession plan to support its long-term development. With those strong foundations now established, this feels like the right time for me to step back from my day-to-day responsibilities and, after a short break, take on a Non-Executive Director role with the Group. I would like to thank colleagues past and present whose commitment has made my time at Ultimate Products so rewarding."

Simon Showman, President and Founder, said: "I am hugely excited about the next phase for Ultimate Products. The business has a strong executive team in place, with the ability to continue delivering the wide range of beautiful, more sustainable products we are known for. I am also delighted to welcome Simon Harrison to the business as our first external CEO. His FMCG leadership experience makes him ideally placed to build on the momentum we have created. I am also pleased to remain involved with the Group as a Non-Executive Director, and look forward to seeing our excellent team realise the substantial opportunity ahead."

Regulatory disclosures

The following information is disclosed pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule Two paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies in relation to Simon Harrison, aged 55.

Simon Harrison holds or has held the following directorships/partnerships in the past five years:

Current directorships/partnerships	Past directorships/partnerships
Princes Group PLC	Princes Italia s.p.a (previously known as Princes Industrie Alimentari s.r.l)
Edible Oils Limited	Princes Foods Limited
Princes (Tuna) Mauritius Limited
Princes Foods BV

As at the date of this announcement, Simon Harrison, together with his persons closely associated (as defined under MAR) holds no shares in the Company.

There is no further information to be disclosed in relation to the appointment of Simon Harrison pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule 2, paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules.

For more information, please contact:

Ultimate Products [phone]

Andrew Gossage, CEO

Chris Dent, CFO

Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker) + 44 (0)20 7220 0500

Matt Goode/ Callum Davidson/ Trisyia Jamaludin (Corporate Finance)

Matt Lewis (Corporate Broking)

Shore Capital (Joint Broker) [phone]

Malachy McEntyre/ Isobel Jones (Corporate Broking)

Mark Percy / David Coaten / Harry Davies-Ball (Corporate Advisory)

Sodali & Co [e-mail]

Rob Greening / Sam Austrums / Oliver Banks

Notes to Editors

Ultimate Products is the owner of a number of leading homeware brands including Salter (the UK's oldest houseware brand, established in 1760) and Beldray (a laundry, floor care, heating and cooling brand that was established in 1872). According to its market research, nearly 80% of UK households own at least one of the Group's products.

Ultimate Products sells to over 300 retailers in over 30 countries - spanning discounters, supermarkets and general retailers, and ranging from large national and international multi-channel retailers to smaller retail chains. Its products are also available on Salter.com and Beldray.com, as well as major third-party online marketplaces. The Group specialises in five product categories: Small Domestic Appliances; Housewares; Laundry; Audio; and Heating and Cooling. Other brands include Progress (cookware and bakeware), Kleeneze (laundry and floorcare), Petra (small domestic appliances) and Intempo (audio).

Founded in 1997, Ultimate Products is headquartered in Oldham, Greater Manchester, where it has design, sales, marketing, buying, quality assurance, support functions and warehouse facilities across two sites. Manor Mill, the Group's head office, includes a spectacular 20,000 sq ft showroom that showcases each of its brands. In addition, the Group has an office and showroom in Guangzhou, China and Paris, France. Ultimate Products employs over 300 staff and is certified as a Great Place to Work®. A significant number of its employees joined via the Group's Graduate Development Scheme, one of the biggest in the North West.

Please note that Ultimate Products is not the owner of Russell Hobbs. The Group currently has licence agreements in place granting it an exclusive licence to use the "Russell Hobbs" trademark for cookware and laundry (NB this does not include Russell Hobbs electrical appliances).

For further information, please visit www.upplc.com.  

 

END