Howdens founder to retire and be succeeded as CEO by Screwfix’s Andrew Livingston
Howdens Joinery’s founder and chief executive Matthew Ingle is to retire and be succeeded by Screwfix chief executive Andrew Livingston.
Ingle will step down in the first half of 2018 but will still have a role within the company as lifetime president.
Livingston has been chief executive of Screwfix since 2013 and was previously the company’s ecommerce director. Prior to Screwfix, he was commercial director and chief operating officer of Wyevale Garden Centres and was also commercial director of kitchens and bathrooms at B&Q.
Richard Pennycook, chairman of Howdens, said: “Having founded Howdens in 1995, Matthew has been its driving force for more than twenty years. On behalf of the board and all our colleagues I thank him for his exceptional leadership.
“I am very pleased to be able to welcome Andrew to Howdens. Andrew has developed an outstanding strategic and operational track record at Screwfix which, like Howdens, has developed great relationships with its trade customers.”
Ingle founded the company with just 14 depots and first year sales of £1 million. In 2016 the company reported annual sales of more than £1.3 billion and pre-tax profit of £237 million. Howdens currently operates from 650 depots across the UK, and sees scope for up to 800.
