Outgoing managing director Tom Abbey has taken on a new role as executive chairman and will remain at the head of the business, handling the product and innovation side while Parry mainly deals with the day-to-day running.
Parry was recommended for the role by a former colleague. She officially took over on 5 December.
Parry said: “It’s been fantastic so far, really warm and welcoming, a great team, I’m immersing myself in everything really.
“The positive here is the people and the innovation, they are two massive strengths. The people are passionate, enthusiastic and customer-driven and their reputation has been built on innovation and the extra mile they go to for customers.”
Parry began her career in a variety of technical support roles, moving to ink specialist Vivimed in 2000 as business manager, responsible for sales, marketing and technical support.
During her tenure she completed an MBA before moving to France-based toiletry and cosmetics manufacturer Fareva. She moved to Sawgrass Europe in 2011, a company that she said was analogous to Magna in terms of size, industry and model.
Abbey said: “I’m still very hands-on and am not going anywhere but I have been running around this business for a long time now trying to manage too much of it and to have someone like Helen come in who is incredibly professional and structured is exactly what the business needs. It’s early days yet but Helen is involved in every conversation.”
Magna is currently preparing to launch two new products at the Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS), California, on January 20, a bleed blocker, which stops colours from a shirt running into ink, and a new ink that creates two-tone or three-tone pearlescent effects on textiles.
It will also be launching a training academy at the show, Magna Academy, a set of nine training videos that users can watch online.
70-staff MagnaColours, which has worked exclusively with and manufactured water-based inks since 1978, employs around 50% of staff in outposts in Mumbai.
The £10m-outfit launched a new Reflective range of toxin-free inks earlier this year, a number of months after it launched an environmentally-friendly range.
