Topps Tiles has announced the appointment of Caroline Browne as the company's new chief financial officer (CFO).

Browne joins the tile retailer from Watches of Switzerland Group, where she currently works as group finance and investor relations director.

She has worked at the company for seven years, leading the finance functions of the business.

Browne was also part of the team that initiated the initial public offering of the company on the London Stock Exchange in 2019.

She also currently holds the role of treasurer and audit & risk committee chair for the NGO War Child UK.

Prior to Watches of Switzerland, she was the group financial controller at fashion and home retailer Next. She has also held several senior finance positions at Boots.

Browne will take over the CFO role at Topps Tiles from Stephen Hopson, joining the company in spring 2026.

Browne began her career at consulting firm Baker Tilly before moving into audit at Ernst & Young in the UK and internationally.

Topps Tiles said it has recently appointed Rob Swales as interim CFO.
Swales previously worked as group commercial finance director at clothing retailer Pepco, having helped deliver its IPO on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Prior to that, he spent several years at Marks & Spencer.

"We are delighted to welcome Caroline as chief financial officer,” said Paul Forman, chair of the board. “She has significant financial and investor relations experience in high quality retail organisations and a consistent track record of delivering strong results and I look forward to working with her as we build upon our growth ambitions and create continued long-term value for our customers, colleagues, and shareholders."

Last month, Topps Tiles announced the rollout of a task management and retail operations platform across its 297 stores nationwide.

The technology was launched earlier this year after the leading UK tile retailer faced difficulty in making sure that product on promotion was merchandised accurately and consistently across its store network.

The move has enabled the company to digitise and automate key store processes, including task management, photo validation, and promotional compliance.

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