Following two decades at appliance brand Smeg UK, managing director Mike Giddings has announced he will be stepping down, naming Daniel Hadley as his successor.
Giddings first joined Smeg as national sales manager in 2001, before going on to become sales director, and then managing director. Over his 11 years in the role, Smeg says Giddings has had a monumental impact on the brand, helping it to generate continual growth across all areas.
Reflecting on his career and exit, Giddings says he is leaving the company “on a high”. He added: “I leave the Smeg brand in the very capable hands of Daniel Hadley. It has been an incredible journey filled with so many memories of extraordinary activations and innovations. I am now looking forward to spending more time with my wife Jill and our grandchildren.”
Hadley has over 16 years of experience working at blue chip organisations, most recently working for Dyson in the Middle East. His role was focused on geographical expansion across the region and Africa, which included opening four new stores in the UAE.
Along with his family, Hadley has reportedly relocated back to Oxfordshire, to be close to Smeg’s UK headquarters in Abingdon. He said: “I am delighted to join Smeg at such an exciting time for the brand and am keen to continue to develop the UK and Ireland Smeg business.
“Mike was the lynchpin for so many incredible milestones at Smeg, no less the opening of the brand’s global flagship store in Regent Street St. James’s and the incredible UK HQ in Abingdon. I wish Mike all the best.”
Smeg has also recently launched a new range of appliances in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, inspired by both companies’ shared Italian heritage.