Richard Rose,
Non-Executive Chairman (Age: 53)
Richard joined Blueheath as deputy Chairman in May 2006 and was appointed Executive Chairman in September 2006. Richard now acts as Non-executive Chairman of the Group.Richard was formerly Chief Executive Officer of Whittard of Chelsea plc, a multi site retailer of tea and coffee which was sold in 2006. Previously he was a Director of Hagemeyer (UK) Ltd, a distributor of professional products and services, with a UK turnover approaching £1 billion through 360 outlets. Prior to that he had been Chief Executive Officer of WF Electrical plc, a fully listed electrical distributor, where he created a substantial improvement in shareholder value. Hagemeyer purchased WF Electrical plc in 2000. He was also Non-executive Chairman of AC Electrical Wholesale Ltd where he led a successful growth strategy resulting in a substantial increase in shareholder value. The business was sold to Wolseley in 2006. He is also Non-executive Chairman of Kiotech International plc and Partners In Property Solutions plc, Executive Chairman of Crawshaw Group plc and Helphire Group plc and Non-executive Director of DRL Holdings Ltd and DRL Ltd.
Charles Wilson,
Chief Executive (Age: 43)
Charles started his career in 1986 with Procter and Gamble following which he was a consultant with OC&C Strategy Consultants and a Director of Abberton Associates. In 1998 he became an Executive Director of Booker Plc which merged with Iceland plc in 2000. In 2001 he became an Executive Director of Arcadia Group plc and in 2004 he became an Executive Director at Marks and Spencer Plc. In 2005 he was appointed as Chief Executive of the Group.
Jonathan Prentis,
Group Finance Director (Age: 47)
Jonathan qualified as a chartered accountant in 1987 with Deloitte & Touche. Jonathan was appointed as Group Finance Director of Giant Topco Limited in 2005 after the acquisition of The Big Food Group plc. Prior to this appointment, Jonathan was Finance Director of Woodward Foodservice Ltd and then Finance Director of Group Logistics within The Big Food Group plc. Prior to 2003, Jonathan was with TDG plc.
Bryan Drew,
Commercial Director (Age: 48)
Bryan is Commercial Director, responsible for all buying and brands of the Group. Bryan was at Booker plc from 1989 to 2003 when he left to co-found Hub Wholesale Ltd. He returned to the Group in November 2005.
Bryn Satherley,
Operations Director (Age: 48)
Bryn is Operations Director responsible for property, IT, logistics and supply chain of the Group. Bryn was at Booker plc between 1999 and 2001 and rejoined in the Group in 2005. Prior to that he was at Exel plc and was on the board of Alldays Limited.
Mark Aylwin
Managing Director - Booker Direct (Age: 46)
Mark is the Managing Director of Booker Direct. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive Officer of Blueheath. Mark was previously supply chain and IT director at Musgrave Budgens Londis. He has over twenty years trading, supply chain and logistics experience in the food industry, principally at Safeway where he was commercial director for non-foods and the supply chain director.
Lord Bilimoria CBE,DL,
Non-Executive Director (Age: 47)
Karan Bilimoria is a Cambridge University law graduate and a qualified chartered accountant. He is the founder of Cobra Beer. He is Chancellor of Thames Valley University and an Honorary Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He is an Advisory Board member of Boston Analytics and a former Non-Executive Director of Brake Brothers. He is also Chairman of the UK India Business Council and an independent Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords.
Andrew Cripps,
Non-Executive Director (Age: 51)
Andrew read Economics at the University of Cambridge prior to qualifying as a chartered accountant with KPMG. Following twenty years with Rothmans International and British American Tobacco Plc, he has held a number of Non-Executive Directorships in the UK and Europe. Andrew is currently Non-executive Deputy Chairman of Swedish Match AB and a Non-executive Director of Helphire Group plc and Molins plc.
Richard Farr,
Non-Executive Director (Age: 51)
Richard is a qualified chartered accountant and was a Director and subsequently partner in the restructuring and pensions practices at PricewaterhouseCoopers between 2001 and 2007 during which time he was seconded to the Pensions Regulator. Prior to joining the Board, Richard was a Director of Swiss Re Capital Markets and is currently a Director of Blue Sky (London) Limited.
Karen Jones,
Non-Executive Director (Age: 52)
Karen was CEO of Spirit Group Ltd, a private equity backed pub & restaurant group which was built up by acquisition. Spirit was sold for £2.7bn to Punch Taverns in January 2006. Prior to Spirit, Karen founded, grew and floated The Pelican Group Plc, owner of a number of restaurant chains including Café Rouge, which was acquired by Whitbread in July 1996. Karen has a first class honours degree from University of East Anglia, and also attended Wellesley College, USA. Karen has now started another hospitality company in London, Food and Fuel Ltd which currently consists of ten gastropubs. Karen is a Non-executive Director of Virgin Active Group Ltd, of ASOS Plc, of COFRA ag, and of Royal National Theatre Enterprises Ltd. She is a Governor of Ashridge Business School, sits on the Industrial Development Advisory Board and chairs the Rebuilding Childhoods Board of the NSPCC.
Mark Chilton,
Company Secretary (Age: 46)
Mark acts as Company Secretary to the Group and was appointed to his present role in June 2007. Mark qualified as a solicitor in 1987. Mark was appointed as Company Secretary of the Booker Group in May 2006. Previously, he was head of legal at The Big Food Group plc. Prior to that, he was at The Greenalls Group Plc.