John Barton joined the Ted Baker board as chairman in July 2020. He previously served as chair of Next Plc and Cable and Wireless Plc.

Ted Baker said Barton’s death was “sudden” but did not elaborate further.

“John was a source of great wisdom for me and for so many of us at Ted Baker and we will hugely miss his support and guidance. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his wife, Anne, and their family,” Rachel Osborne, chief executive, said.

Speaking on behalf of the board, Helena Feltham, senior independent director, added: “John combined generosity of spirit with insight, humility and humour and we will all miss him. He led the board with great skill and it was a privilege to have worked with him. Our hearts go out to his family.”

Feltham will assume the role of interim chairman with immediate effect.

Last month, Ted Baker reported its interim results for the half-year to 14 August announcing narrower losses with revenues up 17.6% year on year.

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Ted Baker said group revenue amounted to GBP199.3m (US$267m), compared to GBP169.5m in the prior-year period. The company attributed the increase to a return to retail growth and the partial relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions globally.

On a two-year basis, revenue was down 36.4%.

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