Historic knitwear firm appoints new managing director

Historic knitwear firm John Smedley has announced the appointment of a new managing director.

The firm, which is based at Lea Mills, near Matlock, has promoted Jess McGuire Dudley to the role.

Jess, who was formerly deputy managing director and global brand director at John Smedley, succeeds Ian Maclean, who is stepping into the role of executive chairman after 25 years at the family business, including 15 at the helm.

Jess originally joined the firm in 2014 as head of marketing. Within six months she was promoted to head of marketing and merchandising and, the following year, joined the John Smedley board as marketing and design director.

In March 2021, she was appointed as global brand director, overseeing creative, brand, marketing, PR, design and merchandising.

Most recently, she took on the role of deputy managing director in January 2022, reporting directly to managing director Ian, who is a seventh-generation Smedley family member.

The business credits Jess with refreshing the John Smedley’s brand image and growing its global sales across e-commerce and physical retail.

She has also introduced a new exclusive knitwear line for the John Lewis Partnership, known as “JS x John Smedley”, overseen last year’s reintroduction of the brand’s third-party production arm at the business’s 240-year-old Derbyshire manufacturing site and expanded its bricks-and-mortar presence with two new standalone stores in central London.

John Smedley also has 11 stores in Japan, including in Tokyo, Yokohama and Kyoto, and is stocked by premium and luxury retailers Mr Porter, Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Isetan, Di Bijenkorf, and Le Bon Marche.

Jess said: “There is a real love between me and this business, and I am determined to ensure it thrives for decades to come.

“Our brand values are to be British, iconic and responsible, and I stand by this vision.”