The Furniture Awards, the annual celebration of the January Furniture Show’s best and brightest exhibitors, is open for entries. An industry-leading panel of judges will select the leading candidates – among them Leekes MD, Emma Leeke …
Emma is the MD of Leekes, the home department store business which is part of the Leekes Retail and Leisure Group.
The Leekes retail operation was established over 125 years ago by Emma’s great grandfather, an ironmonger, in the Welsh valleys. During her time with the business, she has overseen its expansion into the West Midlands through the acquisition of the Coles of Bilston group, and into Bristol, with the acquisition of Park Furnishers, another independent family business.
In November, opened its newest store, in Cheltenham, taking the number of stores to seven. The group employs over 650 people, and boasts a total turnover of close to £90m.
Emma sits on a variety of national buying groups including Minerva, Fortis (the premier group for builders’ merchants, kitchens and bathrooms, where she was the first female principal to take her place in the group), and CIH, an electrical buying group, as well as being a member of CBI Wales.
Membership of these organisations has provided an opportunity for Emma to develop a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the retail industry, and, in turn, to influence direction. In recent times, Emma contributed as a panellist to a UK Government initiative looking at future strategy for the retail industry, and hosted both local MPs and Welsh Assembly politicians in-store, where she used the opportunity to lobby on behalf of retailers.
Emma supports several charities, including being an appeal board member for NSPCC Wales, which her family has supported for 15 years – personally raising close to £500,000, while during this time the board has raised over £15m. As part of her support, in the last few years she completed the Everest Base Camp trek, as well as other challenges such as long-distance cycle rides.
She has also helped to establish Rhondda Netball, a charity which works to develop the aspirations of young girls growing up in the Rhondda Valleys through the medium of sport. Emma was recently inducted into The Furniture Makers’ Company as a freeman.
Emma joins fellow judges Malcolm Walker, Darryl Simpson, Becca Maloy and Richard Naylor, who, chaired by Furniture News’ Paul Farley, will pick 2025’s winners. The category champions will be announced at January Furniture Show’s Social Studio (Hall 2, NEC Birmingham), at 5.30pm on Sunday 19th January. The deadline for entries is Wednesday 4th December – click here for more details.
