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Home > Corporate > Press Release > 2008 Press Releases > New Appointments at The Consortium

February 12, 2008

Award winning supplier to the education and care sectors The Consortium has appointed four new members of staff to focus on key areas of the business.

Penny Barkas joins The Consortium as Head of Customer Services. She will be looking at The Consortium’s entire customer experience, reviewing customer service across the social care, education and early years sectors and working to enhance the company's award-winning service.

With over ten years of focused industry experience Penny joins The Consortium from a Bristol company, where she was responsible for all sales and service contact and a 180-strong customer service team.

Graham Feboul has been appointed Direct Marketing Manager. He will be responsible for managing the print production of the annual catalogues, database activities, event based marketing as well as developing the website and its online capabilities. Graham has extensive direct marketing experience, having worked in similar roles in a range of different industries.

Darren Liffen joins The Consortium as Logistics Manager. With over 15 years of warehouse, distribution and logistics management experience, Darren joins the company from TDG, one of Europe's leading supply management companies.

Darren has extensive experience serving business to business and business to consumer markets and will be responsible for all of The Consortium's warehouse and distribution operations.

He will be working to improve delivery times, helping customers to track their orders more easily as well as looking to minimise the environmental impact of nationwide deliveries.

And, finally, Barney Greig is seconded as brand developer to focus on sourcing, supplying and increasing the range of green products for the care and education sectors. The Consortium already leads the way on sustainable and environmentally friendly business practices. Barney, who is originally from New Zealand, comes from a purchasing and sales background and is a committed environmentalist and passionate about recycling.

"Our customers are increasingly aware of the impact of their activities, the products they use and their buying decisions," says Mr Greig.

"In schools and early years settings, sustainability and environmental issues have become top of the agenda with children, teachers and government. In care homes, managers are considering the products they use, the recycling potential and subsequent environmental impact."

Melanie Teal, Chief Executive at The Consortium comments: "These appointments follow impressive sales growth in both the education and care sectors."

"The new members of staff will focus on The Consortium's top priority - which is to provide excellent customer service, as well as supporting our direct marketing activity and taking the industry leading step to increase our extensive range of 'green' products."

The Consortium already stocks Tru-Green environmentally-friendly padded envelopes made out of plant waste and jute, and has been exploring a selection of other biodegradable and compostable products to add to its ranges.