Willems is charged with growing the business in new international avenues and expanding the company's market share.

Clifford Herbertson, partner at Paradigm Global Partners, the company that acquired Ilford in 2010, said he expected Willems to deliver an immediate impact.

He said: "Since our acquisition of Ilford we have aggressively sought to expand the company footprint in its core business markets, while also uncovering new growth opportunities

"With this new aggressive business development strategy in mind, we expect Paul to deliver an immediate impact to our business, and also be a key player in further developing the company for the long term."

Willems said he was proud to join the "excellent team already in place."

"Ilford has long been known for its dedication to high quality products, and its portfolio remains very strong. I see very interesting developments on the horizon," he added.

Earlier this month, GMG UK appointed Ian Scott as its new managing director following the departure of Willems.