UK fashion chain Ted Baker Chairman John Barton dies at 77

Reuters

Published Dec 06, 2021 07:21

Updated Dec 06, 2021 07:50

(Reuters) -British fashion chain Ted Baker (LON:TED) on Monday said Chairman John Barton had died, and senior independent director Helena Feltham would take on the role of interim chairman with immediate effect.

In a brief statement, the London-listed retailer did not specify the cause of Barton's death, but said it was sudden.

Barton, 77, joined Ted Baker https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ted-baker-chairman-idUSKCN2240W7 from airline easyJet (LON:EZJ) in July last year, as the fashion group's management sought to revive its fortunes after suffering a string of setbacks in 2019.

He previously also served as chairman of rival fashion retailer Next Plc and was senior independent director at WH Smith (LON:SMWH) and SSP Group.

Last month, Ted Baker said sales were rebounding as office- and party-wear became popular again after pandemic curbs were lifted, but signalled that the pace of recovery was still uncertain.