Former River Island CEO returns as executive chair exits

Ben Lewis, the former chief executive officer to River Island, is returning to the British retailer upon the announcement that its executive chair, Richard Bradbury, is exiting the firm.

Bradbury, who cited personal reasons for his departure, had previously served as CEO for River Island until 2010 before stepping away and then later rejoining the company in December 2022 to take on the additional role of executive chair.

Lewis, meanwhile, had also held the CEO position before he too exited in 2019. Now, the nephew of River Island founder Bernard Lewis is to once again resume the helm role with immediate effect, according to a statement from the company to FashionUnited.

In the statement, Bradbury said on his departure: “It has been a great honour to have worked in this amazing business twice. The River Island team is incredible, and during the last two years we have achieved so much together to position the business for its next phase.”

In his own comment, Ben Lewis said he was excited to rejoin the company “at such a pivotal time”. He continued: “Richard has built a great team, and I look forward to working with them to continue to develop the business and capture the many opportunities ahead.”

In addition, Clive Lewis, the son of Bernard, will also be returning to his former role of non-executive chair. He commented: "“Richard steps down having made a strong impact on the business and the board is extremely grateful for his leadership.

"With Ben’s deep history with River Island, there is no question that he is the right person to lead the company into its next chapter.”

The shift in leadership follows a challenging period for River Island, which was believed to have called in financial advisors in January 2025 after it swung into a pre-tax loss of 32.2 million pounds in the year prior.