South Mall, Ireland, December 26, 2006--The founder of Carpetright is planning a shake-up at the retail group which will see the dual role of chairman and chief executive split, according to a report from BreakingNews.ie.
Lord Harris of Peckham runs the company in both roles, but is planning to appoint a new non-executive chairman to shepherd the firm, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The 64-year-old could continue as chief executive for at least five more years, although it is understood a final decision has not yet been made.
The newspaper reports that Carpetright board member Baroness Sheila Noakes, a former senior non-executive director at the Bank of England, is expected to take over as chairman.
Meanwhile, it is thought Lord Harris’s successor will also be decided by the non-executives, with internal candidates including the founder’s son, Martin.
The company said earlier this month that pre-tax profits lifted 11% to £27.7m (€41.3m) during the six months to October 28 as like-for-like sales cheered by 1%.
A promotional programme succeeded in increasing sales of cut-to-length carpets, with mocha styles replacing beige as the most popular colour.
Carpetright said dwindling laminates sales had shown signs of stabilising after two years of decline, while it was boosted by demand for rugs.
Lord Harris has more than 40 years’ experience in carpet retailing and was chairman and chief executive of Harris Queensway from 1964 until the company was taken over in 1988.
Lord Harris was also a non-executive director of Great Universal Stores for 18 years and retired from the GUS board in July 2004. He became a non-executive director of Matalan in October 2004.
The group, which is based in Rainham, Essex, plans to open another 20 stores in the second half and hopes to finish the year with more than 500 outlets in the UK and Ireland.
