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Operating at MD & CEO within different business formats, I have an exceptional record of success particularly in the retail sector, transforming and growing multi-site and e-commerce operations to maximise profitability and shareholder value.
My most recent success was at Wine Cellar Ltd with 182 retail stores where I turned the business around to enable a trade sale to occur.
With 20 years large Corporate experience working at Argos / GUS & Littlewoods Mail order I am skilled at working in major corporations with large teams of people operating in a complex business environment. In addition I also have had 10 years operating at CEO & MD level within a variety of SME’s in the £100m to £250m turnover bracket.
Steve's Career History
National
March 2018 - July 2019
Bretland Business Consultants
• Providing business advisory services
• Turnarounds
• Corporate recovery work including refinancing
• Success management programmes
• Mentoring for Boards to Business owners
• Coaching - Getting the best out of your business
Wolverhampton
November 2011 - December 2012
EUROPEAN FOOD BROKERS Ltd – T/o £136m, Convenience stores and Off-licenses.
Interim Managing Director
Selected to improve performance of 100 stores and implement strategic change. 750 staff.
• Improved like-for-like sales by £2.2m from -8% in 2011 to -2% in 2012 despite difficult trading conditions.
• Significantly strengthened internal audit security procedures and systems reducing £250k pa stock and cash losses.
• Implemented EPOS system changes to allow end-to-end stock tracking and discrepancy reporting and generate accurate store stock level information and reconciliation.
• Introduced a long-term performance related pay scheme incentivising store sales and rewarding high achieving store staff.
• Designed sales and marketing strategies increasing customer footfall with no margin loss.
• Facilitated the acquisition of 37 Oddbins stores and successfully integrated these and 120 Wine Cellar stores, staff and systems into the EFB operation.
Manchester
November 2011 - November 2017
Bakery Works Ltd T/A bake&TAKE a European master franchise licence.
• Investor in self-service bakery concept start up from Europe.
• Trading as backWERK in Europe, 380 store continental operation VC owned in Europe .
• Trading with 10 franchised stores, sold licence back to Germany.
Runcorn
November 2007 - November 2011
WINE CELLAR Ltd – T/o £100m, convenience stores and off-licenses.
Managing Director
Headhunted to turnaround a loss making business with full P&L responsibility. 1,100 staff.
• Increased 1st year like-for-like sales by 5% and drove 2008 Christmas trading to +18% like-for-like despite the recession.
• Improved EBITDA to breakeven in 1st year from a £2m loss and a history of cumulative losses over the previous 4 years.
• Reduced costs by £1.5m by tight operational control, headcount reduction, introducing flexible working, cutting wastage and renegotiating supplier contracts.
• Increased supplier retrospective discounts by £1.4m (+150%) against a 5% sales increase.
• Negotiated a highly attractive JV with the UK’s largest wholesaler, Palmer and Harvey and “Mace” brand holder, to open 100 convenience stores for a minimal contribution.
• Radically improved the business culture and staff morale, winning “hearts and minds” of both staff and suppliers with a can-do attitude to drive business performance.
• Successfully traded a business in crisis for 3 years despite a continuing £1.5m shortfall in working capital and allowing a “pre-pack” trade sale saving over 750 jobs.
CEO
Headhunted to aggressively grow the business with full P&L responsibility. 200 staff.
• Increased sales from £128m to over £200m and profits from £9m to £21m.
• Restructured the buying department, recruiting experienced e-commence and retail buying professionals.
• Opened a Chinese office to direct buy stock, reduce product purchase prices and drive sales volume, increasing margins by 2% and vendor rebates by £4mEBUYER Ltd. continued.
• Renegotiated credit card acquisition costs with RBS saving £1m pa.
• Improved internal culture and staff morale by providing leadership and direction to an inexperienced and disillusioned team and appointed an HR specialist to support team building and develop a commercial outlook.
• Implemented website advertising for suppliers, increasing revenue by £500k per month.
• Built a modern warehouse facility, negotiated all key contracts saved £6m on budget.
• Reviewed the US business and implemented a revenue based strategy and a grey-market buying stance achieving over 60% like-for-like sales growth.
• Improved customer service by combining UK and USA customer contact operations allowing 24hour customer support and aggressive KPIs for enquiry handling.
CEO
Headhunted to integrate an acquisition, refinance the business and exit the VC. 400 staff.
• Successfully integrated the acquired 17 retail store Littlewoods Discount Stores business, with 500 staff, into the existing Brennan and Atkinson wholesale business.
• Turned around the retail stores from losses of £5.5m pa to £500k pa profit in 6 months.
• Implemented a new retail warehouse and distribution organisation within 4 months.
• Reinvigorated operations, introducing staff appraisals, flexible working, strategic buying plans and a new EPOS system.
• Delivered all agreed year-end profit targets for both wholesale and retail businesses.
