The Board
Peter Johnson – Executive Chairman
Peter is the company’s founder and majority shareholder and has the role of Executive Chairman. He has a service agreement with the company, effective from 1 April 2003, which requires 12 months notice of termination by either party.
Chris Houghton – Group Managing Director
Chris was appointed to the board on 11 October 2000 and became group managing director on 4 May 2004. Chris is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and joined the group as accountant in 1986, having previously held financial positions at Unilever, Littlewoods and Boots. He became group financial controller in 1990, finance director of Park Direct Credit in November 1999 and group finance director on 29 March 2001. He has a service agreement with the company entered into on 1 April 2001 which requires 12 months notice of termination by either party.
Martin Stewart – Group Finance Director
Martin was appointed to the board on 1 November 2004. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and joined the group from Eddie Stobart Group, where he was Group Finance Director. Prior to this Martin was with UK Waste Management Ltd from 1992 to 2000, from 1997 as finance director, and earlier in his career held financial positions with The Littlewoods Organisation , ICI PLC and Price Waterhouse. He has a service agreement entered into on 1 November 2004 which allows for 12 months termination by either party.
Gary Woods – Managing Director, Park Retail Limited
Gary was appointed to the board on 29 March 2001. He joined the group with the acquisition of Chrisco Hampers in 1980 and has gained wide experience in divisional roles. He is managing director of Park Retail Limited. He has a service agreement with the company entered into on 1 April 2001 which requires 12 months notice of termination by either party.
Christopher Baker – Non-Executive Director
Christopher was appointed to the board as non-executive director on 29 March 2001 for an initial term of 3 years and has recently been re-appointed for a further term. He has held senior management positions with Littlewoods plc and Hill Samuel Bank Limited and is currently non-executive deputy chairman of Jacques Vert plc and Blooms of Bressingham Holdings plc and non-executive director of Auto Indemnity Group plc and the Teacher Training Agency. Christopher is chairman of the groups audit committee, a member of the remuneration and nomination committees and the group’s senior independent non-executive director.
George Marcall – Non-Executive Director
George was appointed to the board as a non-executive director on 29 March 2001 for a term of three years and re-appointed for a further three years in 2004. He has formerly held directorships with Airtours plc and Yates Group plc and is currently chief executive of Glyn Webb Limited and a non-executive director of Marix Drug Development Limited and Abbeycrest plc. Mr Marcall is chairman of the group’s remuneration committee and a member of the audit and nomination committees.
John Dembitz – Non-Executive Director
John was appointed to the Board on 1st May 2008 for an initial three year term. He has held a number of senior positions within a variety of both public and private organisations and is currently Chairman of TITUS International Plc, a European manufacturer of furniture connectors; CVO Group, Central Europe’s leading traditional and on-line recruitment company; TACK International Limited, a UK based sales and management training company; and Ruston Wheb Limited, a leading clean technology/renewable energy search consultancy.
Prior to this, John was Chairman of Coffee Point PLC, the UK's largest independent drink and snack vending company, and oversaw their successful sale to BUNZL PLC in August 2007. He commenced his career at McKinsey & Co, after gaining an MBA from London Business School.
