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Chief exec steps down after 36 years
Chief Exec steps down after 36 years at The Consortium
28th March 2006
Retiring chief executive
Jeff Gould and new chief
executive Melanie Teal
The chief executive of award-winning procurement and fulfilment company The Consortium is retiring - 36 years after joining the organisation.
Jeff Gould was appointed as a stationery buyer at the Trowbridge firm in 1970, sharing a telephone with four colleagues at a terraced house in Trowbridge.
He became chief executive 11 years later and led a Management Buy-Out with a group of other senior managers at Wiltshire County Council in 1995, which led to the creation of The Consortium.
Now the organisation employs 250 people and turns over £40 million at its 100,000 sq ft office and warehouse complex, with a multi-million pound web business and an established position as the UK market leader in schools supplies.
The Consortium is currently using its successful 'Buying Made Easy' formula to target the UK's care homes, with its new specially focused care catalogue. The 350-page catalogue features more than 3,500 care products, such as disposable gloves and aprons, living aids, stationery and art and craft materials.
Mr Gould will continue as a part-time director at The Consortium but is being succeeded as chief executive by Melanie Teal, who was previously Customer Director.
"There were five of us when I started working in the purchasing team," says Mr Gould.
"We shared a phone in a box room at a terraced house in Trowbridge, progressed into a portakabin in the car park at County Hall and then into our current premises in Hammond Way.
"It is tempting to indulge in a certain amount of nostalgia at times like this but I learnt the management maxim that 'you can't change the past but you can work to improve the future' early in my career, so my inclination is to look forward to the next phase in life.
"That said, I count my self very lucky in having the opportunity to work with some really super people over the years, and to have been involved in such an ever-changing set of management issues and challenges. Life has never been dull at the Consortium!"
Melanie Teal comments: "Jeff has instilled his passion for developing people and helping them to deliver their potential throughout our organisation. He will be a hard act to follow but will still be on hand (in a non-exec capacity) as we look forward to the next stage in our growth."