Harriet Green has quit Premier Farnell to become the new CEO at Thomas Cook Group.
She will be replaced by Laurence Bain (left), who has been Chief Operating Officer at Premier Farnell since he joined the company in 2002.
Green joined Premier Farnell in 2006 and she has led the company through a strategic repositioning from a catalogue distributor to a multi-channel organisation. Over 55% of Premier Farnell’s business is transacted via e-commerce channels. It was 12%, via the web, when Green joined the business.
A seasoned electronics industry veteran, Bain was at the centre of this transformation, and a founding architect of the current strategy. Prior to working for Premier Farnell he spent 18 years at Motorola, including five years in their semiconductor business and latterly as Vice President and COO for the Personal Communications Sector in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Commented Bain: “I am very positive about the opportunities ahead of us. With continued focus on providing great service to the engineering community, our multichannel strategy, led by the web and growth in emerging markets, I believe that the company can go from strength to strength. I have an outstanding management team who will help to drive the company forward to lead the industry and provide excellent experience our customers deserve. I wish Harriet every success in her new venture.”
“Premier Farnell is an extraordinary business which I have been privileged to lead with the support of a strong management team," said Harriet Green (right). "We have made significant progress in transforming the company into the trusted global source for engineering solutions. I am confident that Laurence has the knowledge and experience to take the group forward. I leave Premier Farnell knowing that the company has a bright future under strong leadership.
Val Gooding, Premier Farnell Chairman, added: “I would like to thank Harriet for her outstanding leadership and the very significant contribution she has made over the past six years to the strategic transformation of Premier Farnell. She has led the company to become a global, high service, web business, consistently delivering industry leading returns across the economic cycles, whilst building an excellent team, thus ensuring robust management succession. We wish Harriet well for the exciting opportunity ahead for her.
“I am delighted that Laurence has accepted the role of Chief Executive. He has an outstanding knowledge of our market and our business and is committed to delivering high service to our customers and improving the profitability of the company. I look forward to working with him in the next phase of our journey.”
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