Steven Taylor, Steve Pickett and Peter Whittaker are to strengthen Heron and Brearley’s leadership for future growth strategy.
The appointments to the board are all from within Heron and Brearley’s existing leadership team with Mr Pickett, Mr Taylor and Mr Whittaker continuing to work under the group’s managing director, Ian Lennox.
Steven Taylor joined Heron and Brearley in 1995 and was later appointed to lead and transform the group’s on-trade division in 2010, at just 32 years old. As retail director, Steven Taylor was a key player in the group’s acquisition of the Market Town Taverns chain in the UK. He has successfully applied a fresh approach to developing Heron and Brearley’s estate of Manx pubs, with its noticeable impact on the wider rejuvenation of the North Quay in Douglas.
Group chairman, Jonathan Clague said: ‘The recent Carnival Live Lounge venue is the latest example of the contemporary fit and service levels offered by Heron and Brearley venues thanks, in great part, to Steven’s ambitious and youthful vision.’ Steven Taylor now progresses to the main board as overall estates director.
Having been with Heron and Brearley for more than 10 years Steve Pickett spent much of that time providing the excellent stewardship of the group’s successful expansion into logistics through Trade Distribution. This business has achieved significant account wins in the UK and employs more than 120 people within a group, which is now the Isle of Man’s largest private sector employer at more than 1,000 staff.
Steve Pickett’s appointment to head the wholesale and logistics divisions allowed the group to consolidate several divisions, adding the existing wholesale operation, Island Automatics and Okell’s, to his portfolio of overall responsibility.
Mr Clague added: ‘Steve Pickett’s motivational and entrepreneurial leadership has already steered Okell’s to a confident future with an exciting re-branding of its entire product portfolio, helping to generate outstanding export growth. These qualities will be an asset to the main board in joining us as wholesale and logistics director.’
He continued: ‘We were very fortunate to have Peter Whittaker join us in 2008 from the Manx Co-operative Society. Rapidly taking the reins of our convenience retail division, Peter has been responsible for the exponential growth of our Spar chain of convenience retail stores all over the Island’s towns and villages, transforming the quality of this sector in the Isle of Man, to provide a true alternative to the supermarkets. Peter’s acumen both in retail and property are a further valuable asset he will bring to the main board as retail stores director.’
Heron and Brearley sees the appointments as very much a drive for the future. Group managing director Ian Lennox said: ‘These are anything but “time-served” appointments, but are driven by our understanding that we operate in a relentlessly competitive world. I am delighted that Heron and Brearley has the internal “bench strength” to make these important appointments from within our leadership team. It demonstrates that our long-term strategy of nurturing talent and propagating loyalty will secure the future success of the group.’
Photo - Appointed to the main Heron and Brearley board: Peter Whittaker, Steve Pickett and Steven Taylor.
