Woodie’s parent Grafton Group appoints new chief executive officer

The parent of DIY company Woodie’s has announced the appointment of Eric Born has its new chief executive.

Grafton Group said Mr Born will join the company as chief executive on November 28th, 2022. He will succeed Gavin Slark who will remain with the group until December 31st to facilitate an orderly transition.

The appointment follows an extensive selection process led by the board’s nomination committee with the support of an executive search firm.

Grafton said Mr Born will bring “a wealth of international business experience” to the role having worked for five years as chief executive of Swissport International, a global aviation services provider.

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He also worked for a similar period as chief executive of Wincanton, a provider of supply chain solutions in the UK and Ireland.

He was formerly president, West and South Europe, of Gategroup, the largest global airline catering provider, and in the decade prior to that he held a variety of senior roles in the retail sector in Switzerland and the UK.

Mr Born was previously a non-executive director of Serco Group, which specialises in the delivery of essential public services, and John Menzies, a leading distribution and aviation services business.

Grafton Group chairman Michael Roney said: “Eric Born is a very experienced CEO and business leader with a proven track record of creating shareholder value in publicly listed and private equity owned national and international businesses of scale in the retail, logistics and aviation services sectors.

“We are very pleased to welcome Eric to Grafton and are confident that he has the skills and experience to lead our group through the next stage of its growth and development.”

Mr Born said he was looking forward to starting in his new role. “I am delighted to be joining Grafton at this stage in its history,” he said.

“The group has a portfolio of quality, high returning businesses with good market positions that provide an excellent growth platform. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to enhance the position of Grafton as a leading international business for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

The remuneration and employment terms of Mr Born will be in line with Grafton’s remuneration policy and full details will be set out in the 2022 annual report.