Hush appoints former Reiss executive Sally-Anne Newson as chief customer officer

Hush, the premium women’s fashion and lifestyle brand, has appointed Sally-Anne Newson as Chief Customer Officer, with responsibility for brand, creative and digital functions, as the business targets its next phase of UK and international growth.

Newson joins from Reiss, where she spent six years as Chief Customer Officer leading the brand, creative and digital teams. Newson brings with her more than two decades of e-commerce and fashion retail leadership experience spanning both start-up and large-scale brands.

Sally-Anne Newson

Remit and strategic focus

In the new role, Newson will unify Hush’s creative and digital strategies across physical and digital touchpoints. The role brings brand, creative and digital under one executive, making customer-facing consistency a leadership priority as Hush scales.

Prior to Reiss, Newson was Director of Customer Experience at The Very Group, where she led the end-to-end digital experience. Before that, she served as Country Manager for ASOS Australia.

Growth ambitions

Hush CEO Sarah Miles said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sally-Anne to Hush as our Chief Customer Officer. She brings a wealth of experience growing fashion and retail brands, which will be so beneficial to Hush in the next stage of our journey, as we build on the foundations set in recent years and grow the brand in the UK and internationally.”

Newson said she feels a personal connection to the brand’s origins, citing her own British-Australian heritage and the story of Hush founder Mandy Watkins, who built the brand around her transition from Australian life to London’s fashion scene. The brand was established in 2003 by Watkins and her husband Rupert Youngman. In 2020 the business received its first outside investment from retail investors True, which took an approximately 50% stake. 

“Hush is a brand I have long admired for its authentic voice, unique style and strong connection to its audience,” Newson said. “I am incredibly excited to build upon that beautiful intersection of relaxed style, modern design and wearability to drive the next chapter of the Hush story.”

Newson has also worked in retail technology. She was named as an investor and advisor to Persi, the eCommerce personalisation start-up, during her time at Reiss.

Hush said the appointment supports the brand’s plan to build on recent foundations and expand both domestically and overseas.