Powell made group c.e.o. at Quarto

Polly Powell has been appointed group c.e.o. for Quarto, taking over from C K Lau.

Lau, who is a major shareholder, remains an executive director of the company.

Powell initially joined Quarto as an advisor to Lau in 2019, before joining the board as c.e.o. of its UK operations in February of this year.

Chairman of the board Andy Cumming said: "I am delighted that Polly has agreed to take on the position of group chief executive officer. Polly has already made a significant contribution to Quarto since joining at the beginning of the year and I look forward to working closely with her as we continue to build on the successful turnaround of the business."

Powell said: "Since joining Quarto, I have come to truly appreciate the sheer scale and reach of its global sales—no other like-minded company can match it. Under [chief operating officer] Ken Fund and C K, the company has been rightly rewarded with its first Number One New York Times bestseller with This Book Is Anti-Racist and the relentless march of the Little People, Big Dreams series is a wonder to behold. I look forward to working with Ken and doing justice to the Board's appointment of me as C K's successor."

Quarto's worldwide revenues fell 17% in the first half of 2020, hit by the coronavirus pandemic, but Powell hailed a good trade performance for the UK side of the business.