Performance specialists Purple Story cements growth with significant senior appointments
Posted on 19th January 2024 at 13:01
Purple Story, the operational excellence and high performance consultancy led by former operators Karen Turton and Lynda Merryweather, has announced three senior appointments to build on the exceptional double-digit year-on-year growth of the business.
Brian Bagnall
Brian Bagnall joins the board as Non-Executive Chairman. He is also Non-Executive Director at Hydes Brewery. Formally a member of the Punch Retail Board, Operations Director at Greene King and at Park Resorts, and Commercial Director at Roadchef, the appointment reunites him with CEO and Founder Karen Turton, who he first worked with at Allied Domecq.
Jody Bennett
Jody Bennett also joins the board as a Non-Executive Director, alongside her role as People Director for Brewhouse & Kitchen, where her passion for supporting people’s development, raising capability, and creating career pathways for all mirrors the Purple Story ethos perfectly
Matt Howcroft
Finally, Matt Howcroft will take up the full-time role of Head of Operations in March 2024. An award-winning Area Manager, currently working for Stonegate and a qualified Executive Coach & Mentor, Matt combines operational focus with building teams that flourish in a skillset perfectly suited to Purple Story.
Bringing a wealth of industry experience, the new roles form part of a host of exciting plans for the professionally rebellious consultancy.
Founder and CEO, Karen Turton: “We’re not an L&D business, we are a performance consultancy helping businesses drive success through their people. The level of expertise, passion, and shared values that Brian, Jody, and Matt bring to Purple Story will help us to scale the business and reach a wider audience than ever before.
“We are determined to blow up the past perfect belief in what people think is possible and build on our significant growth over the past five years.
“Alongside a new range of ‘On Demand’ digital courses, plus my research-driven specialist expertise in maximising the power of our multi-generational workforce, Purple Story is going to be unstoppable in 2024 and beyond!”
COO, Lynda Merryweather: “Our story is one of disrupting the status quo and pushing ourselves, and our clients, to be better than we need to be. We are over the moon to welcome Brian, Jody, and Matt, who we know will propel us to another level.
“From a team of one just two years ago, to a team of 17 today – thanks also to the addition of three fantastic new facilitators – we know we can break down barriers to high performance and bring about meaningful change in even more businesses as we grow in hospitality and many other sectors. It’s a hugely exciting chapter in the life of Purple Story!”
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