Granby appoints new MD as Kimber moves up to CEO

Granby Marketing Services has promoted its head of finance and HR to succeed managing director Joanne Kimber (nee Varey), who has been promoted to CEO after leading the Bradford-based company for nearly 25 years and spearheading an MBO over a decade ago.

Caroline Noblett, who joined Granby in August 2019, takes up the MD role with immediate effect; the business became an employee-owned firm in 2022.

Granby’s services include direct marketing, e-commerce fulfilment, and warehousing and distribution; it has worked for a raft of major brands, including Sainsbury’s, Nestlé, Compare the Market, Coca-Cola, Kimberly Clarke, and Nespresso.

In the 2013 MBO, Kimber become the majority shareholder, while Stephen Bentley, who acquired Granby from Omnicom in 2002, became chairman and remained a minority shareholder. IT director Craig Parsons also became a minority shareholder in the business.

However, Parsons resigned in 2014 and Bentley left in 2023, while operations director Andrew Gregson joined the board.

Noblett, who became a director of the business in 2022, said: “I am delighted to take up the position of MD and I’m very aware that in doing so I am standing on the shoulders of a giant.

“On behalf of the whole leadership team, I’d like to express our gratitude for the leadership, fortitude and example set by my predecessor. Jo managed the business for many years and has successfully guided us through the process to employee ownership.”

In her new role as CEO, Kimber will continue to contribute on the main board, alongside Noblett and Gregson. The board will be supported in the management of the business and the servicing of clients by the leadership team, which also includes, Paul Dunleavy (IT), Victoria Pittman (client services/business development), and Dave Saunders (warehousing and site services).