A listed Nottingham-based eCommerce business has appointed an executive chairman after its non-executive chairman decided to step down at the company’s annual general meeting yesterday.
Huddled Group, which has a market cap of £10.7m, has named its founder and now-former CEO Martin Higginson as its executive chairman following Sir Robin Miller’s decision to step down.
The move has also prompted further change at the firm, as Michael Ashley, who joined the board as an independent non-executive director in March 2025, will assume the role of CEO.
This leaves Huddled Group with only one independent non-executive director, which has prompted the company to begin the search for another.
Huddled Group buys surplus stock from manufacturers and retailers before selling it online at a fraction of the usual price through its brands DiscountDragon, Nutricircle and BOOP Beauty.
It claims to have saved 5.7m items from being unnecessarily wasted, while it has donated and distributed 500,000 items to food poverty charities in the UK.
Higginson is a seasoned entrepreneur and still also serves as chairman of Lancaster-based M Capital Investment Partners – a position which he has held since December 2010.
He is the founder of several businesses, including Immotion Group, CityBlock and Digitalbox plc.
New CEO Ashley has prior experience of leadership, having been CEO of AIM-listed Harvard International, as well as chief commercial officer of retail giants Wickes and Holland & Barrett.
“I would like to thank Sir Robin Miller for his outstanding contribution as non-executive chairman and his unwavering support of Huddled since IPO,” said Higginson.
“I am delighted to welcome Michael Ashley as our new CEO. Since joining the board in March, Michael has already demonstrated the depth of retail expertise and strategic insight that will be invaluable to the business.
“I look forward to working closely with Michael in my new role as executive chairman to drive the next phase of Huddled’s development.”
Ashley added: “I am honoured to take on the role of CEO at such an exciting time for Huddled. The circular economy represents a significant and growing opportunity, and I believe Huddled is uniquely positioned to capitalise on this trend.
“Having spent the past few months working closely with the team and understanding the business in detail, I am excited about the value we can create for all stakeholders.
“I look forward to building on the strong foundations laid by the team and driving sustainable growth across the group.”