Portmeirion Group has strengthened its senior leadership team with two commercial hires from Denby as it pushes ahead with plans to return the business to growth.
The Stoke-on-Trent homewares group has appointed Jane Mason as UK and Europe director and Hayley Baddiley as group marketing director. Both will join the business on 1 July 2026 and report to recently appointed chief executive Michael Scheepers.
Mason joins from Denby, where she was UK and Ireland managing director. She previously spent more than 14 years as head of sales at Le Creuset UK and has also held senior roles at DK Household Brands and hospitality business Craster.
In her new role, Mason will lead Portmeirion’s commercial operations across the UK and Europe, with responsibility for sales growth, customer relationships, channel development and performance across owned retail, third-party retail, B2B and ecommerce.
Baddiley also joins from Denby, where she spent more than a decade as global marketing director, leading brand transformation and multichannel communications.
Earlier this year, following Denby’s move into administration, Baddiley led the high-profile #SaveDenby campaign, which secured more than 100,000 signatures on a public petition calling for government support for the UK ceramics industry over industrial energy costs.
The government issued a response on 11 May 2026, with the topic due to be debated in Parliament on 6 July.
At Portmeirion, Baddiley will lead the group’s brand and marketing strategy, with a particular focus on strengthening its three key heritage brands, Spode, Portmeirion and Royal Worcester.
Scheepers joined as chief executive in May 2026 and after the company raised around £18.6 million through a share placing with existing and new shareholders earlier this month.
Portmeirion said the funding would be used to cut debt and support its transformation plan as it targets a return to sustainable growth and profitability from FY27 onwards.
The business has also recently appointed Victoria Brabender as its first product strategy director, while Sam Pearce has been promoted internally to chief operating officer. North America president Michael Close and Asia and international director Sapna Kumbhani have also joined the group executive committee.
Scheepers said the appointments were “another important step” in delivering the company’s growth plans for 2027 and beyond.
“Our strengthened executive leadership team enhances our mix of skills and experience around the table, as well as bringing a fresh transparency and purpose that will be vital to successfully delivering our transformation plan in full,” he said.
Mason added: “I’m delighted to be joining the company at this exciting moment in its journey, with a clear growth plan in place and exciting opportunities ahead.”
Baddiley said Portmeirion’s brands “celebrate British craftsmanship and design at its best”, adding that she was looking forward to “elevating our brands on a global stage”.
Portmeirion owns six homewares brands, including Spode, Portmeirion, Royal Worcester, Pimpernel, Wax Lyrical and Nambé.
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