Grafton Group plc has announced the appointment of Eric Born as its new Chief Executive Officer. He joins the business on 28 November, succeeding Gavin Slark who remains with the Group until 31 December 2022 to facilitate an orderly transition.
Eric brings a wealth of international business experience to the role having served for five years as Chief Executive of global aviation services provider, Swissport International AG, and for a similar period as Chief Executive of Wincanton plc, a leading provider of supply chain solutions in the UK and Ireland. He was formerly President, West & South Europe of global airline catering provider Gategroup, and in the decade prior to that he held a variety of senior roles in the retail sector in Switzerland and the UK.
He also previously served as Non-Executive Director of Serco Group plc, which specialises in the delivery of essential public services, and John Menzies plc, a leading distribution and aviation services business.
A Swiss national, he holds a BBA degree from the University of Applied Science in Zurich and an MBA from Simon Business School at the University of Rochester, New York. Following a distinguished international sporting career – a former European Judo Champion, he also competed in the 1992 Olympics – Eric has used his high-performance skills, ability and drive to create a very successful career in business.
Eric said: “I am delighted to be joining Grafton at this stage in its history. The Group has a portfolio of quality, high returning businesses with good market positions that provide an excellent growth platform. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to enhance the position of Grafton as a leading international business for the benefit of all stakeholders. “
Michael Roney, Chair of Grafton Group plc, added: “Eric Born is a very experienced CEO and business leader with a proven track record of creating shareholder value in publicly listed and private equity owned national and international businesses of scale in the retail, logistics and aviation services sectors. We are very pleased to welcome Eric to Grafton and are confident that he has the skills and experience to lead our Group through the next stage of its growth and development.”
