With Wincanton renewing its focus on logistics by disposing of its Records Management business earlier this month, and now posting a 5.8% increase in half-year turnover, new chief executive Adrian Colman is beginning to make his mark.
Colman, former chief financial officer at the group, took over the top position in August after the departure of Eric Born, who left to join airfreight giant Swissport International.
Like Born, he comes from a financial background. He joined the company almost three years ago from IT firm Psion, where according to his LinkedIn profile he was chief financial officer, and prior to that served as chief financial officer at London City Airport.
Speaking to The Hub today, Colman said he felt well prepared for his step up to chief executive as he had got to know the business and its divisions in his three years as CFO. During that time turnover growth has slowed, but is still a far cry from the position the business was in last decade.
But now that the company’s finances are in good shape, what are Colman’s priorities for the business over the coming months?
He said that he wants the business to focus on giving great customer service, which he hopes will set Wincanton apart from its competitors.
“We want to make sure we are a bit more visible and accessible to customers. We are encouraging staff to talk to our customers more,” he said. He doesn’t just want its customers to see Wincanton as a as a company that moves goods from A to B.
He added that the board was pleased with today’s interim results and showed that the company was able to take on a challenge.
It is currently in the process of improving turning around its loss-making vehicle maintenance business Pullman Fleet Services, which hit group profitability slightly.
With many supermarkets reporting declining sales this year, and Colman expecting retail growth to slow over the coming months, The Hub is interested to see how Colman, alongside new chief financial officer Tim Lawlor, will handle the challenges.