City Appointments: F W Thorpe; Carillion; Dignity
Redditch-based lighting group F W Thorpe has announced a series of changes to its board following a decision by executive chairman and joint chief executive, Andrew Thorpe, to step down.
Mr Thorpe will take up a role as an executive director on a part-time basis.
His replacement in the twin roles will be Mike Allcock, currently joint chief executive and managing director of group subsidiary, Thorlux Lighting.
Mr Allcock has been responsible for driving the growth at Thorlux, the largest company within the group. He will continue this role as well as influencing product development and the adoption of new product technology across the group.
Craig Muncaster will become joint chief executive whilst retaining the position of group financial director. Mr Muncaster has been with the group for over seven years and has recently led the successful delivery of the acquisition strategy including the integration of both Portland and Lightronics.
James Thorpe will become an executive director of the group and business development director of Thorlux Lighting. He has been with the group since 2013 in the role of BDM for Thorlux and has been responsible for securing a number of high profile projects.
Andrew Thorpe said: “There comes a time – the salmon, bass and the 18th beckon and deserve a little more of my attention. I have enjoyed every moment of my time at F W Thorpe and hope to contribute more yet even from my lower standing.
“With the current executive team being responsible for delivering the positive results we have seen over a number of years, this is very much ‘business as usual’. The structure outlined above has served the company well and resulted in the successful group we see today.”
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Carillion
Carillion has announced the appointment of Tony Blair’s former political secretary and Women’s Minister, Baroness Sally Morgan as a new Non-Executive Director of the company with immediate effect.
She will also serve on the Audit, Remuneration, Nomination, Sustainability and Business Integrity Committees.
Baroness Sally Morgan of Huyton is also a NED of Dixons Carphone and Countryside Properties. From 2001 to 2005, she was director of government relations at 10 Downing Street. In 2006, she was appointed as a board member of the Olympic Delivery Authority. She was previously chair of Ofsted and a member of the advisory committee of Virgin Group Holdings.
Currently she is chair of Ambition School Leadership (a UK charity training potential head teachers for challenging schools) and adviser to Ark, which runs academies in the UK and works internationally in education. She is chairman of Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust and deputy chairman of the Council of King’s College London.
Commenting, Carillion chairman Philip Green said: “We are delighted that Sally Morgan has joined the board. Her considerable experience as a business leader will enable her to make a valuable contribution to the future development of Carillion.”
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Sutton Coldfield-based funeral director group, Dignity, has announced that its operations director, Andrew Davies is to retire from the business next April.
Mr Davies joined what is now Dignity when his family business was acquired in 1993. He held various management positions in the group until he was appointed operations director in 2001 and was a key member of the management buyout team in 2002. He has been an executive director of Dignity since it listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2004.
He will continue to be connected with the group after his retirement, assisting with the funeral home acquisition programme but will not have any operational involvement in the funeral division nor will he be a director of any company within the wider Dignity Group.
His successor will be an internal appointment and unlike Andrew Davies will not be a director of Dignity.
