Richard Walker promoted to Eddingtons MD

Richard Walker, a non-executive member of the BHETA Board, and longstanding member of the BHETA Housewares Committee, has been promoted to the role of managing director at Eddingtons.

Walker will take on responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Eddingtons business with all key functions reporting to him. Roger Murphy, the current managing director, will become executive chairman, taking on a strategic role focused on the future growth and development of the company.

Richard Walker said: “I am delighted to move forward with this new role and looking forward to implementing our joint business plan. A key element required to deliver is that we formalise our senior management team structure (SMT). We are blessed to have many people in our company with years of knowledge and experience and the plan for the SMT both collectively and individually will be for them to take on additional responsibilities in their areas of expertise which will allow me to focus on managing the overall business and delivering our strategic growth plans. I look forward to continuing my support of the BHETA board and continuing with my BHETA Committee activities.”

Roger Murphy added: “Richard and I have worked extremely well together for the last 10 years and we will both stay very close to the detail in all areas of our business. However, we both understand that the time is absolutely right for a clear division of responsibilities and a recognition that we must evolve the organisation in order to meet the needs of current and future customers.”

“We have done a very good job over the last three years in managing the business under the inherent constraints imposed firstly by the Covid pandemic and then the global recession and the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, as we enter 2023 hopefully many of these challenges are further behind than ahead of us, we need to raise our heads from the trenches and focus on expanding our horizon once again.