As CEO at IG Design Group Plc, Paul Fineman guided its growth from a UK-centric Christmas-focused consumer gift packaging business to a global $1bn revenue multi-product provider.

In 2022, after 17 years as IG Design Group Plc’s Board Director and 14 years as Group CEO, Paul made the momentous decision that it was the right time to step down, for a new experience and that he felt ready for a different work/life balance.

Now, as a business investor, adviser and mentor, including to smaller fast-growing businesses, Paul is finding great enjoyment and fulfilment from applying his decades of experience with tomorrow’s leaders in dynamic work environments.

In partnership with BKL, who have known Paul for many years, we invite you to hear about his life in business, how he navigated career transition and the lessons he learned.

About Paul Fineman

Paul has over 40 years’ experience as a highly successful business leader and mentor. He led his family’s consumer products business, Anker International, through over 20 years of uninterrupted growth until its sale in 2005. Three years later, Paul made a rare transition from his earlier experience as leader of a private family-owned business to becoming Group CEO of an AIM listed PLC , when he became CEO of Anker’s acquiror, International Greetings PLC. He led its complete transformation as IG Design Group and through a period of restructuring, reinvention and diversification which developed it from a UK centric, Christmas-focused business to a global, year-round c$1bn revenue multiproduct category/brand provider and partner to the world’s leading omni-channel retailers.

Paul’s experience also includes managing a worldwide and award winning rebranding project; overseeing the introduction of new product categories, customer channels and business models; and heading up significant M&A activity in Europe, Australia and the USA.

At IG, Paul’s leadership resulted in the Group being Turnaround business of the Year in 2011. Such was the businesses transformation that its 2014 investment in its Wales operation was marked by the opening of its new facilities by HM the Queen and HRH Prince Phillip. In 2015 the evolution of the Groups US business resulted in its Business of the Year award being acknowledged not only by Members of the US Congress, but later by the world’s largest retailer – Walmart – naming IG USA as ‘Supplier of the Year’ in 2018 and 2020.

Paul’s achievements resulted in him being voted the AIM markets CEO of the Year in 2017.