Furniture manufacturer and retailer HSL has announced the departure of CEO Guy Critchlow, and the appointment of Venessa Hodgson (pictured) as MD designate.
Guy joined the business in 2016, and developments during his tenure have earned HSL record levels of sales, industry-leading ratings on Trustpilot, and numerous awards, including the Queen’s Award for Innovation.
In addition, Guy’s passion for the environment drove HSL’s journey to Carbon Neutral certification, the first step in its ambition to achieve Net Zero, making a pledge to decrease the business’ impact on the environment by reducing its carbon footprint and becoming a carbon-neutral organisation by 2025 – and HSL reached this milestone three years ahead of target (see related).
In late January, HSL appointed Venessa Hodgson as MD designate. She joined HSL in July 2014, and has been an instrumental part of the business’ development to date, in her role as marketing and people director. During that time, she has led the modernising of the HSL brand and championed the wellbeing of its staff.
William and Debra Burrows, the owners of HSL, comment: “The business is forever grateful for Guy’s outstanding contribution, and we wish him well in his future ventures. But as this era with Guy comes to an end, we are really excited to see Venessa undertake her new position, driving the business forward as the first female at the head of the business.”
