IG Design Group PLC
20 August 2026
20 August 2026
IG Design Group plc
("the Company", "the Group" or "Design Group")
Appointment of Chief Financial Officer
IG Design Group plc, a leading designer, innovator and manufacturer across various celebration and creative categories, today announces that Rohan Cummings will step down as Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") and from the Board with effect from 31 August 2026. The Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Ari Bensoussan as its new CFO, effective from 1 September 2026. Ari will also join the Board as an executive director with effect from that date.
Ari has nearly 30 years' experience across finance, strategy and M&A in global consumer businesses. He joins from Thai Union Group PCL, a global seafood leader, where he has served as Chief Financial Officer, Europe since 2021. Prior to this, Ari spent almost 25 years at Nestlé, holding a number of senior roles including Head of Finance and Group Controller at Nestlé Waters as well as Head of Operations Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions Director for the Nestlé Group.
Rohan will continue to support the Company through to 31 December 2026 to ensure an orderly handover.
Stewart Gilliland, Non-Executive Chair, commented:
"On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Rohan for his significant contribution to the Company over the past three years. He has played an important role during a period of significant change for the Group, including the successful disposal of DG Americas, which marked a major step in reshaping and simplifying the business and renegotiating the Group's banking facilities. His contribution has helped position Design Group as a focused business with a robust balance sheet and strong foundations for its next phase. We wish him every success in the future.
"I am delighted to welcome Ari to the Board. His extensive international finance and commercial experience will be hugely valuable as we look to broaden our customer reach and strengthen our commercial capabilities, while maintaining the financial discipline that has underpinned the Group's recent progress."
Disclosure under Schedule Two, Paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies:
Ari Vincent Bensoussan, aged 57, has held the following directorships/partnerships in the past five years:
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Current Directorships/Partnerships |
Former Directorships/Partnerships (past five years) |
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Etablissements Paul Paulet Thai Union Poland Sp z.o.o Aegir Sjavarfang Ehd. Norway Foods (Europe) N.V. Mareblu srl John West Foods Ltd. Pioneer Food Cannery Ltd. |
Mr Bensoussan is not currently a director of any companies.
Save as set out above, there is no further information to be disclosed in relation to Ari Bensoussan's appointment pursuant to AIM Rule 17 or paragraph (g) of Schedule Two of the AIM Rules for Companies.
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For further information, please contact: |
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IG Design Group plc |
Tel: +44 (0)1525 887310 |
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Gerald Kuehr, Chief Executive Officer |
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Canaccord Genuity Limited (Nomad and Broker) |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7523 8000 |
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Bobbie Hilliam |
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Elizabeth Halley-Stott |
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Alma Strategic Communications |
Tel: +44 (0)20 3405 0205 |
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Rebecca Sanders-Hewett |
designgroup@almastrategic.com |
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Sam Modlin |
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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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