Bensons for Beds has announced the appointment of Mark Slater as CCO, a role which will see him become part of the executive team.
Having joined the business in an interim capacity in February, Mark brings with him a wealth of experience, having previously worked on the executive team of Howdens. Prior to that he held a number of senior commercial roles, at Travis Perkins, Currys and The Walt Disney Company, among others.
During his time at Howdens, he established the brand’s first commercial team – delivering +65% sales growth and PBT growth from £239m to £406m, with significant market share growth. He led the redesign and reinvigoration of the company’s product proposition, depot and customer pricing structure, accelerating new product sales and significantly improving promotional impact. He also oversaw the development and implementation of Howdens’ ESG strategy.
As Bensons' new CCO, Mark will be responsible for the business’ commercial, marketing, digital and services teams, alongside product innovation and new business development, with a key focus on growing the brands’ sales and overall market share.
CEO Nick Collard says: “Following our return to profitability, this appointment is a critical role for Bensons as we begin to accelerate our work to create a more distinctive, compelling, and sector-leading offer for our customers.
“Mark’s commercial knowledge and experience of working in assisted sale, vertically integrated businesses will be a strong addition to our leadership team, and it’s a testament to the progress that Bensons has made in recent years that we have been able to attract someone of Mark’s background to be part of our journey.”
Mark comments: “The turnaround that Nick and the team have done with the business thus far, in the midst of a highly volatile consumer market, has been extremely impressive. Bensons’ expertise and manufacturing capabilities present a huge opportunity for the business. I’m delighted to be part of the team driving this forward.”
Last month Bensons posted an EBITDA profit of £1.5m in the 53 weeks to 30th September 2023, from a £15.4m loss in 2022, as sales jumped +7.5% to £257.5m.
Bensons plans to open more than a dozen new stores in 2024 as its expansion drive continues.
