Founder of Solstice, J Schwan, Named St Ives New CEO

CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- St Ives Group PLC announced that J Schwan will be appointed as the group's CEO. Schwan has been with St Ives for three years, serving previously as founder and CEO of Solstice, the group's largest strategic services business, and more recently as the group's first chief digital officer.

Schwan will take over for current CEO Matt Armitage, who will retire on Aug. 3, 2018. Armitage will continue in his role until this date and will remain with the group for another 12 months as a special adviser to assist with the transition.

"The Board is delighted to be able to appoint J as Matt's successor," said Richard Stillwell, chairman at St Ives. "He has unparalleled experience in delivering digitally based transformation services in a high-growth environment. Since January of this year, he has been the group's chief digital officer, and his impact is already being felt."

Schwan founded the digital innovation firm Solstice in 2001, which now has offices in Chicago, New York, and Buenos Aires and has been widely recognized for its growth, innovation, and outstanding culture. In the past year, Solstice was recognized as a Best Place to Work by Crain's Chicago, one of the fastest growing firms in the Chicagoland area, and won the international Timmy award for Best Tech Work Culture. In 2015, St Ives acquired Solstice as part of a larger digital transformation effort.

Schwan's list of accolades includes membership in the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, Crain's Tech 50, and the University of Illinois College of Engineering Young Alumnus of the Year.

"I am incredibly privileged to lead the next chapter of transformation and growth of the St Ives Group, a journey Matt started over eight years ago," said Schwan. "I am excited to continue serving the St Ives team and the leadership of our fantastic businesses as we work to become a global leader in digital business transformation services."

Schwan's appointment as CEO will be effective Aug. 4, 2018.

About Solstice
Solstice is a digital innovation firm that helps Fortune 500 companies seize new opportunities through world-changing digital solutions. As strategists and consultants, we help organizations evolve their digital strategy to solve mission-critical problems. As designers and developers, we build incredible hardware and software solutions that transcend a standalone product. As instructors and coaches, we help companies transform from the inside out by adopting a high-speed culture of innovation. For more information, visit solstice.com.

About St Ives Group
St Ives is an international marketing services group. The firm's growing number of successful, dynamic businesses serve leading brands across the globe, with offices in the U.K., North America, China, and Singapore. St Ives operates as a complementary set of market-leading businesses, each with its own unique value proposition, while also working collaboratively as a whole to add unique value for clients. For more information, visit st-ives.co.uk.

 CONTACT: Julia Ansaldi
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SOURCE Solstice

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