Victoria hires new chief executive
Kidderminster-based flooring group Victoria has hired the boss of Europe's biggest carpet manufacturer as its new chief executive officer.
Philippe Hamers, aged 53, has 25 years experience in the industry and headed the Continent's largest carpet manufacturing operation at Balta Group for the last six and a half years.
He becomes CEO of Victoria – a newly created role – and becomes an executive board director from March 20.
It follows a period of dramatic expansion at Victoria over the last few years, with a string of major takeovers under executive chairman Geoff Wilding.
Before joining Balta Group, Mr Hamers was general manager of the tufted and woven division of Beaulieu International Group, which gave him extensive experience in running very large, multi-site, multi-national, manufacturing and sales organisation.
Victoria said his 'core attributes' included@ "Developing new business opportunities, effectively managing senior management teams, delivering cost saving and other organic growth initiatives in order to build market share."
He holds a Master of Business Economics degree from the University of Antwerp and an Advanced Management degree from Vlerick Business School. He speaks Dutch, English, French and German fluently.
Based at Victoria's UK operations, Mr Hamers will be responsible for overseeing group wide activities and he will work closely with both executive chairman Geoff Wilding and group finance director Michael Scott.
Geoff Wilding said: "We are delighted to have such a well-known and highly regarded industry figure enhance further our strong management team at Victoria. Philippe joins Victoria at an exciting time of its development as we continue to prosper both in the UK and Australia. His international expertise and industry contacts will prove beneficial as we execute our advanced plans to expand into the growing €5 billion European flooring market.
"Phillippe will be involved in all aspects of the business and his experience will be invaluable as we continue to drive profit improvements across the group whilst at the same time maintain our acquisition-led growth objectives in 2017 and beyond."
