Long-established UK-based Mamas & Papas is gearing up for the Golden Quarter with “significant” investment to grow the business at home and abroad with a new leadership team set to deliver the strategy as its CEO steps down.

Backed by private equity firm BlueGem, the Huddersfield-based company “wants to build the Mamas & Papas brand by leverage its customer data across its digital marketing and accelerate its international rollout to deliver its ambition”. 

It also plans to continue consolidating its position in the UK market, where it has a 20% share, through its multi-channel store and online model.

Although the company didn’t expand further on its plans, the new strategy will be executed under the guidance of new leadership team. The group’s CFO Sarah Ashby is not only promoted to COO, but also becomes interim CEO to replace chief executive Nathan Williams who departs after seven years in the post.

Williams is now set “to pursue non-executive and advisory opportunities after a career spanning almost 30 years in senior management”. The company said that during his tenure, Williams “oversaw the build of a significant UK concessions business, international partnerships and the brand’s purpose-driven initiatives”. 

It added that recruitment of a new CEO was under way and would be announced shortly. Meanwhile Steve Parkin, former CEO of peer Mayborn Group and its Tommee Tippee brand, has joined as chairman, bringing his “extensive experience in scaling international businesses in the nursery sector”.

Ashby and Parkin will spearhead the development of the new strategic plan.

Parkin said: “I’ve been supporting the board behind the scenes in an advisory capacity over the past few months. During that time, I’ve come to both admire the business that the team has built and be excited by the potential we have to scale further at home but in particular overseas.” 

He added: “Supported by a new CEO in due course, I’m confident we have the right plan and the right people to accelerate our growth and become the trusted, internationally-recognised brand for parenting around the world.”

The company currently operates over 60 stores in the UK – including 40 concessions in M&S and Next — plus over 30 overseas concessions with partners including El Corte Ingles in Spain, MAP Active in Indonesia, Central Department Store Group in Thailand and Myers in Australia.

In its most recent set of filed accounts, the business reported a 7.1% rise in sales for the 12 months to 31 March 2024 of £154.3 million.