PVC-U building product specialist GAP has bolstered its Main Board and signalled the next phase in its aggressive growth strategy with the appointment of former national news journalist Paul Sowerby as Director of Group Sales and Marketing.
After 15 years in the North of England’s crime hotspots covering stories ranging from the Yorkshire Ripper to the Hillsborough disaster, Paul turned his back on mainstream journalism in favour of PR. His Harrogate-based marketing and communications consultancy went on to earn him the title of Britain’s Outstanding Young Entrepreneur. A Rugby fanatic, he was capped four times for Scotland as a youth.
Joining GAP after 6 years as head of Global Sales with the Australian arm of mining giant CAT, his appointment comes at an exciting time for the group, which has earmarked locations for its next 50 trade depots.
GAP Founder Simon Bird said, “Coming off the back of strong growth in recent years, we knew we needed a heavyweight to take our business to the next level, but didn’t imagine we’d need to go as far as Australia to find one!” he said. “Paul comes with a vast range of skills and experience which will allow us to move forward further and faster.
Paul Sowerby added, “Crime and mining aren’t the most obvious sources of sales and brand development skills, but between them have given me a great insight into the huge power of effective communication and relationship management. And as any effective salesman will appreciate, that’s about all you need to be as good as you can be.”
