Parfetts retail director Guy Swindell has been promoted to joint MD alongside Noel Robinson, who joins from rival Bestway.
The pair took up their roles as MD designates this week. They will assume the positions full time on 1 January 2022, when they will replace the current MDs Greg Suszczenia and David Grimes.
Suszczenia will then take up the role of chairman of the executive board and remain Parfetts representative on the Unitas board.
Grimes will remain on the board as continuity director until June 2022.
Both Suszczenia and Grimes will also take up two new positions on the Parfetts Employee Trust Board from 1 January 2022.
Robinson has headed up Bestway Vans Direct since 2018 and had also taken responsibility for Best Pets. Prior to that he spent eight years with Palmer & Harvey as van sales director. Swindell took up his current role as retail director in November 2018 and has been with Parfetts for 22 years.
The leadership shake-up also sees financial controller Iain Martin promoted to financial director after 15 years with the business.
Suszczenia said Parfetts now requires “renewed vigour and enthusiasm” from a fresh leadership team in order to achieve its next major milestone of £1bn turnover. The new target is just over double its £478m turnover for the year ending 30 June 2020.
“I’m super proud of what the company has achieved in the last 12 years,” said Suszczenia. “Challenges and opportunities never go away, namely, how to maintain growth of sales and profitability while keeping our employee-owned status and culture. As chairman, I will do my best to be a good one and look forward to watching the business grow and develop. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all colleagues, both past and present, for all their hard work that has got us to where we are today.”
Swindell added: “Greg and David have done a fantastic job in guiding the company through a period of rapid growth while maintaining a customer-focused culture that is unrivalled in the sector. As an employee-owned company, we are uniquely positioned in the industry with a model that clearly benefits our customers and is the ideal partner for suppliers. I look forward to working with Noel and the rest of the team as we continue to develop the business and drive growth.”
Robinson commented: “I have over 30 years’ experience in wholesale, but I’m excited to be joining an employee-owned business with such a great culture, track record and future ahead of it. I’m looking forward to working with Guy and my new colleagues, together with customers and suppliers, to develop mutual business growth moving forward.”
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