Next month sees major changes at simplehuman as commercial director Kevin Clark and national account manager Colin Bush make way for some new faces in the EMEA sales team.
In August Kevin moves into a new role looking after the Middle East and Africa, and Colin will be retiring.
Meanwhile, simplehuman welcomes back Gareth Till as retail sales director. Gareth will work with Andreu Autet, from Fashion International, who will become simplehuman’s European sales manager and Sarah Whyld, from Glen Dimplex, who joins as national account manager. The trio joins the existing sales team of Chris Daniels, Sam Hills and Andrew Greogry.
James Dowdeswell, simplehuman’s current operations and finance director will take full control of the EMEA operation.
In 2003, Kevin was approached by an enthusiastic American called Frank Yang, who had big ideas about revolutionising the housewares market with his “tools for efficient living”. Frank had launched simplehuman in the United States in 2000 with his iconic butterfly pedal bin and needed someone with the right contacts to introduce the rapidly growing brand to the UK and Europe. Kevin took a leap of faith and accepted the invitation.
Alongside his long-standing Brabantia colleague John Parsonage and Frank’s ‘right-hand man in Europe’ Brad Chen, Kevin worked ‘from the ground up’ to establish the brand. In fact, Kevin installed and dismantled trade show stands himself in simplehuman’s early days.
By the end of Kevin’s first year, simplehuman products could be found in John Lewis and a growing number of independent cookshops and housewares stores. By 2008 – when global turnover had reached $85 million and Andrew Gregory had been recruited to develop the business with independents and key accounts – John Parsonage announced his retirement. Kevin was delighted to recruit Colin, a former colleague at British American Tobacco in the very different times of the 1980s. By 2021 simplehuman’s global turnover approached $400 million.
Cool, calm and cheerful, Colin developed many of simplehuman’s UK accounts including Amazon, Dunelm and Argos. Renowned for ‘always having a smile on his face and a plan up his sleeve,’ Colin will be greatly missed as he retires from corporate life and devotes his time to new adventures, mostly on two wheels.
Top: Kevin Clark (left) is moving to sunnier climes to build up simplehuman’s global business and Colin Bush is looking forward to cycling adventures after he retires in August.
