AN INTERNATIONAL company with Lake District origins has appointed a new chief executive officer - the first from outside the founder's family.

Lakeland has announced that Catherine Nunn will be taking over from Sam Rayner on January 1 2017.

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She joins the company after more than 20 years with BP, where she expanded the company's sector-leading partnership with Marks and Spencer.

"I have achieved considerable success with BP by relentlessly focussing on the customer and their needs and this will be just as important to my role at Lakeland," she said.

Sam Rayner said: “After 40 years leading Lakeland, it is now time for a change and I am thrilled that we have been able to appoint such a talented person as our new CEO."

"My considerable UK and international retail experience will allow me to take on the challenges facing retailing in 2017 and beyond and will be particularly useful at a time when Lakeland is progressing a well-planned journey into markets outside the UK.

"This will be a very exciting role for me as I am joining a really well founded company that is determined to continue its expansion and development in areas where I have experience and, therefore, can supplement the work of the current team."