Chief commercial officer Simon Bourne was made interim chief executive of Marshalls on 27th November, when predecessor Matt Pullen was given the push.
After just seven weeks (including the Christmas break) of 鈥渁 robust evaluation of internal and external candidates鈥�, the Marshalls board has speedily decided that Bourne is the best person for the job.
Bourne has been with the company for more than 10 years and on the board since 2022. He had seen Matt Pullen brought in from Genuit (Polypipe鈥檚 parent company) in 2024 only to be let go the following year after profits declined.
Bourne first action as chief executive was to release a trading update to the market this morning. He said that 2025 results would show turnover up 2% and adjusted profit before tax in line with market expectations, but there is no expectation of any market improvement in 2026. Instead, the company would have to rely on cost-cutting measures adopted in 2025 to deliver financial improvements this year.
Board chair Vanda Murray said: "Simon has been integral to the growth and development of the group over the last 10 years. His appointment not only supports our desire to accelerate the execution of the group's strategy but is deserved recognition of his proven ability to drive change and continuous improvement throughout the group's businesses."
Simon Bourne said: "I am honoured to be appointed as Marshalls' chief executive officer. We have a strong group of businesses, built on talented people and a culture that values accountability, service and performance. The disciplined execution of our 'Transform & Grow' strategy and the strengthening of our operational foundations will underpin the sustainable future growth of the group and will be my immediate focus."