Mark Armstrong has been appointed as the new channel director for Haier Europe. His main goal will be to drive the contracts business in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (RoI).
Armstrong has a career in the white-goods industry spanning 30 years. He joins Haier from AO.com, where he was head of sales – house builders. Before that he was at channel manager for contracts at Electrolux for eight years.
Armstrong said: “I simply couldn’t pass up an opportunity to work for the world’s number one in home appliance. The Hoover and Candy product portfolio covers an extensive range of price points, specifications and aesthetics, so we can meet, if not beat what the competition has to offer.
“We have great team with a vast knowledge of the white-goods industry, which makes our proposition even stronger and hopefully my experience over the years working in this channel will help us achieve our goal to grow and create demand for the trusted brands.”
He will report directly to UK and RoI chief executive, David Meyerowitz, and work alongside his counterpart responsible for kitchens, trade and DIY customers. His main goals will be to secure and grow contract business in Hoover and Candy’s portfolio of built-in and freestanding appliances.
Meyerowitz said: “Thanks to the existing team, we have achieved significant progress in our contract business to date. Now we are ready to take it to the next level and are excited to have Mark on board to provide a dedicated focus on builders and developers.
“His extensive experience and proven track record with both manufacturers and distributors will help further develop this important business area and enable us to better support these important customers.
“Our aim is to become the UK trade ‘Supplier of Choice’. To be recognised in this way, we must harness the power of our brands that span from market entry to premium, offer real product leadership and high standards of operational excellence. Mark personally provides the final ingredient of this recipe with his notable quality of customer intimacy.”