Next product supremo Christos Angelides is swapping brands and continents after being poached by Abercombie & Fitch.

Angelides, the perennial sidekick to high profile chief executive Lord Simon Wolfson, is to step out into the spotlight and across the Atlantic after being named president of Abercrombie & Fitch and its kidswear division, a position he is expected to take up this October.

The 51-year-old will report to A&F chief executive officer Mike Jeffries and will, the US fashion company said, have “overall responsibility for all product and customer-facing activities for the two brands and will be accountable for the financial performance of the brands”.

Angelides is expected to stay with Next until September, a company with which he has spent his entire career. He joined in 1986 as general manager of its sourcing office in Hong Kong, rising through the ranks to, from August 2000, serve as group product director. Also a member of Next’s board of directors, Angelides also serves as chairman of Next Sourcing and non-executive director of Lipsy, the young women’s fashion brand owned by Next.

What Abercrombie & Fitch will gain is a man who has been instrumental in breathing new life into Next’s ranges and turning around its fashion fortunes. Angelides oversaw product improvements that helped Next stay ahead in the competitive middle market and has helped its profitability rise above that of one time favourite of the high street Marks & Spencer.

His focus on quality and fashionability enabled Next to maintain and even raise prices when production prices soared in 2010/11 and has enabled the retailer to stay firm in its no discounting outside of Sale policy against the backdrop of fierce markdowns.

One of his greatest coups was securing Next’s exclusive partnership with the 2012 London Olympics, which saw the retailer design Team GB’s outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as designing and producing formalwear for athletes and officials. 

Described variously as sociable and affable but also very demanding of his team, Angelides had been viewed as the natural succession candidate for Wolfson thanks to his deep knowledge of the business.

Away from work the father of two is known as a keen sports enthusiast and an avid West Bromwich Albion fan.

A&F CEO Jeffries said of the appointment: “His experience with all aspects of running a business made him the perfect candidate for this newly created role. Christos’ appointment is a critical step in our long-term strategy.”