Matalan has announced that its chief executive Henrik Nordvall will step down just six months after stepping into the role.

The fashion retailer’s chair Karl-Heinz Holland will take on Nordvall’s responsibilities as Matalan’s new executive chair on a permanent basis, with immediate effect.

Holland has held the position of chairman at the firm since March 2026, having worked in its executive since 2023.

Retail Systems has approached Matalan for a statement on Nordvall’s departure.

Drapers reported Nordvall as leaving “by mutual agreement with the board”. The publication quoted Nordvall directly on the move, who stated:

“During my time at Matalan, I experienced a company with genuine ambition and the capability to achieve its goals, driven by a highly talented leadership team and colleagues across the business.

“With a clear direction in place for Matalan’s future growth, I look forward to watching the company’s continued success. I want to sincerely thank Karl-Heinz for the opportunity, and I wish him, the executive team and the entire organisation all the best moving forward.”

In a July post on LinkedIn, Nordvall said: “I joined Matalan because I believed there was significant opportunity ahead for this business.

“A few months in, that belief has only strengthened.”

Prior to joining Matalan, Nordvall worked at fashion retailer H&M for over 17 years holding a variety of senior roles including managing director UK and Ireland.

In its annual statement, posted 28 February 2026, Matalan reported revenues of £987 million, up from £985 million in 2025. The firm said it had achieved “progress against long-term transformation plans while delivering profitable growth in challenging market conditions”, reporting £55 million in loss before tax.

In the first quarter of its 2027 financial year, the firm has reported a 45 per cent year-on-year rise in adjusted EBITDA.

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