Duplo International chairman Robin Greenhalgh is expecting to announce the successor to UK managing director Peter Jolly this week.
The company’s staff were told at the end of last week that Jolly would be leaving at the end of this month, but the recruitment process for his successor has been underway for some time. This has whittled the choice down to the final pair, both from outside the industry.
“We have two great candidates lined up,” says Greenhalgh. “We should be making a decision on Monday about what is going to happen next.”
The process was triggered when Jolly, managing director of Duplo UK since 2012, was approached to become UK and Ireland country manager for HP Indigo and inkjet, to succeed Ian Kimber who will retire at the end of this year. He will take up the new position on 11 September.
It was an offer that, while completely unexpected, could not be refused. “Ian gave me a buzz a couple of months ago,” says Jolly. “ This was a bolt out of the blue. I have been at Duplo for 13 years, joining as a pup. HP is a hugely aspirational brand and one that I’ve long admired. I’m extremely excited now to be part of it.
“In the first few months, I will seek to learn as much as I can about the business, get to know the team and of course meet as many HP Indigo customers as possible.”
Jolly’s background is in marketing and his first role at Duplo was as UK marketing manager before taking to the road as regional manager for the east of England to gain sales experience before becoming managing director more than four years ago.
Over that time, he says, HP has been “a benchmark for our own brand” in terms of marketing and presence. It has directly inspired Duplo’s enhanced service offerings. “The up time of kit is so important for the modern printer,” he says. “What we offer came about at one of our Owners Club meetings where one member showed me the HP model and we based what we do on that.”
It has worked. Greenhalgh says: “Over the four years, our brand awareness has increased; customer perception has improved. He has established the dealer division; reinforced the partner business; formed the Owners Club focus group; the list goes on. And it includes the Duplo Summer Festival a few weeks ago, which had the whole industry talking.
“His will be a difficult act to follow. HP is getting a really top notch person.”
Jolly will be joining a much larger business with a stronger hierarchy and structures in place. “It’s a whole different animal,” he says. “And that will help me grow, particularly as there are two clear sides to the business. One is commercial print and the other is labels and packaging, the bit that is growing fast.”
There will be several weeks overlap with Kimber to meet customers, many of them existing Duplo customers, in the new guise.
At the same time Duplo’s new managing director will be encountering the same customers. The new managing director will create their own path, Greenhalgh explains.
“We are going to miss Peter in the organisation and we wish him well. He has brought in great managers here and has developed them. The orchestra is in top form. That orchestra is getting a new conductor.”
By Gareth Ward
After 14 years with Duplo, Peter Jolly is to join HP as country manager for HP Indigo UK and Ireland. He will be taking on both commercial print and the growing labels and packaging segment.
