John Lennon has joined Dubai-based bathroom supplier Sanipex as UK managing director.
Lennon is tasked with growing the UK arm of the business and adding dealers that will take on its brands, in particular, its BagnoDesign luxury sanitaryware and bathroom furniture collections.
Lennon left Durham-based kitchen distributor PWS after 15 years in May.
He told kbbreview that “periodically businesses need refreshed leadership and a change of perspective at the top”.
He officially joined Sanipex, which is well-established in the Middle East, at the end of August.
Lennon will be based at the firm’s head office in Birstall, Leeds.
He said: “The first three months have flown by. I’ve been occupied by developing an understanding of the business, reviewing the strategy and working with the management team to improve the processes that support customer service.”
Looking forward to the next 12 months, he said there would be a “sharpening of focus in our channel strategy”.
He said that their customers would benefit from investments made in the firm’s operations infrastructure and processes.
Lennon was sales and marketing director at PWS for 12 years and was the managing director at the time of his sudden departure.
He said there were some “big differences” between the two companies, the most prominent being that PWS is a well-established market player in the UK, while Sanipex is still establishing itself.
“Sanipex operates across a wider spectrum of channels,” he added.
“There are some similarities too, though. Both businesses have a reputation for a design-led innovative product and a breadth and depth of range.
“Sanipex is very innovative in the spectrum of finishes available across its brassware offer and follows the finish through into a matched accessory range.”
Sanipex lists 20 BagnoDesign showrooms in the UK on its website. It also distributes Italian shower manufacturer Bossini and Italian ceramic sanitaryware maker Galassia in the UK.