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John Cleland will step down as CEO of Maplin later this year, taking a non-executive director role.
Cleland will hand over to Oliver Meakin in September 2015, who is currently the managing director for Maplin Direct. Meakin joined Maplin three years ago as commercial director.
Darren Shapland, chairman at Maplin, commented: “John has completed the three year plan he set out which has delivered a better Maplin with improved stores, wider range and a focus on customer service via the 2600 colleagues in the Maplin business which he has led with drive and commitment which is second to none.
“With this stage complete this is a natural time to handover to Oliver who has worked closely with John over the last three years and can build on the solid platform which has been put in place. The combination of Oliver’s skills alongside the management team that John and Oliver have recruited plus John’s continued involvement as a non-executive should add both breadth and capability to the delivery of the next stage of the Maplin plan.”
The news comes as Maplin announced its full year trading results for the 52 weeks ended March 21st 2015.
The retailer reported total sales up 6.3 per cent to £236m, the strongest growth since 2008. It also saw annual internet sales growth of 20.6 per cent, with internet sales now representing over 10 per cent of Maplin’s total sales.
Other highlights from the trading results include the firm expanding its range to over 45,000 products and four new stores opening.
