Joe Walsh will step up to take over the managing director role at Scottish jewellers Laings of Glasgow and Robert Stewart as Stuart Laing takes a step back from the business.
Walsh, who is Laing’s son in law, will officially move into the role tomorrow. He has been with the business, which sells watch brands including Patek Philippe, Rolex, Cartier, Zenith, Breitling and IWC, since January 2011, following a career with BDO working on mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance.
Laing will now take on the new role of executive chairman at Laings of Glasgow and will continue in his role as chief executive of watch and jewellery buying group Houlden Jewellers, which he says he plans to expand.
Laing said: "[Joe] has proven himself in a very short space of time to have grasped the needs and demands of the retail watch and jewellery industry. As a result, turnover and profits at Laings have risen accordingly."
Walsh will be supported in his duties by his wife Wendy Laing, who will remain in her role as sales and marketing director, and stock management and administration director Gillian Millar.
