Chairman of Sosandar Bill Murray dies aged 58
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Sosandar chairman Bill Murray dies aged 58: Business leader who helped retailer become one of Britain’s fastest growing fashion brands
- Murray had served as chairman of the women’s clothing retailer since January 2016
- Sosandar achieved almost £30 million in revenue in the last full financial year
- The Cheshire-based group recently revealed a record turnover of £11.6m per quarter
Growth: During Murray’s chairmanship of Sosandar, the company became one of the fastest growing fashion brands in the UK
Fashion brand Sosandar has paid tribute to its chairman Bill Murray, who has passed away at the age of 58.
Murray had been non-executive chairman of the womenswear brand since January 2016, having first joined the company two years earlier.
According to Sosandar’s website, he helped founders Ali Hall and Julie Lavington “with fundraising and numerous aspects of bringing the company to life” after the pair quit their jobs at fashion magazine Look.
During his tenure, the company went from selling less than 100 garments from Hall’s guest bedroom to one of the UK’s fastest-growing fashion brands, with annual sales of nearly £30 million.
Primarily aimed at the over 30s market, the retailer counts TV presenters Holly Willoughby, Fearne Cotton, Susanna Reid and Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden among its celebrity customers.
Revenues were further boosted by the group establishing partnerships with some of the UK’s most famous retailers, including Next, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.
Sainsbury’s also recently reached an agreement to stock some of Sosandar’s curated collections, initially digitally only, before selling them in some outlets later this year.
The Wilmslow-based company revealed a record £11.6m turnover and fifth consecutive quarter of profitability for the three months ended December following strong demand for higher end items.
It noted that all product categories were selling well, but there was strong demand for jackets for festive wear and formal tailoring, especially during the Christmas period.
In a statement to investors, Hall and Lavington said Murray “left a lasting legacy to the company and his dedication and commitment to Sosandar’s success and growth will be greatly missed.”
The founders added, “Our thoughts and condolences to Bill’s family and loved ones at this terribly difficult and sad time.”
In addition to being chairman of Sosandar, Murray held the same position at the Hollins Murray Group, a commercial real estate company based in Cheshire that his great-grandfather had founded.
He was also a director of Paragraph Publishing, whose portfolio includes magazines covering the beverage, travel and hospitality industries, software company TrackBack and trade organization UK Online Management.
Prior to those appointments, he spent more than two decades at Haymarket Media Group, owner of What Car? and Autocar magazines, where he rose to become general manager of the publisher’s digital operations.