PEOPLE 10 MINUTES WITH: CEO SONAS Bathrooms
What’s your job title? Chief executive officer, SONAS Bathrooms.
How long have you been in this role? I have been CEO of SONAS since leading a management buyout five years ago, but I’ve been with the business for a total of 23 years. I joined as a sales representative in 2003 and have had the opportunity to take on a variety of leadership roles along the way. That journey has given me a deep understanding of both our customers and our business.
What are the main functions of your role? My primary responsibility is setting the strategic direction of the business and ensuring we have the people, capabilities and investment priorities to deliver it.
As SONAS has grown, a key focus has been building a leadership team capable of sustaining that growth while never losing sight of what matters most—our customers. Having spent much of my career in customer-facing roles, many of our investment decisions have been shaped by listening carefully to what customers need. My role has expanded further as we’ve built a UK-based team, established a UK distribution centre, and grown our customer base across Britain. Ultimately, my role is to align strategy, people and execution.
What appealed to you about this industry? I’d love to say it was a lifelong ambition, but in truth it was one of those sliding doors moments. This industry offers enormous opportunities for
people who enjoy building relationships, solving problems and continually improving. Every day is different, and after 23 years, I’m still learning.
What have been the highlights of your career so far? Every stage of the business has brought different challenges. Leading the management buyout was certainly a defining moment, as was expanding SONAS into the UK and establishing our first UK distribution centre.
Looking back to when I joined in 2003, the business has transformed in almost every respect; our scale, our brand, our operating model and our capabilities. What excites me most, though, is that I still believe our biggest opportunities lie ahead.
If you could go back to the start of your career, what piece of advice would you give yourself? Find great mentors and sponsors who are willing to invest in your development, they can accelerate your career in ways you can’t do alone. I’d also tell myself not to be afraid of making mistakes. Some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned have come from decisions that didn’t work exactly as planned.
What are the main issues for the construction industry at the moment? The industry continues to deal with global uncertainty, inflationary pressures and changing customer demand. Reliable supply chains remain essential, while labour shortages and planning
uncertainty also create challenges across construction.
Those challenges reinforced our decision to invest in the UK market and establish our new distribution centre in Redditch, West Midlands. By bringing products closer to our customers, we’ve reduced delivery times to next day, improved stock availability and increased supply chain resilience.
What are the best things about this industry?
I’ve been at SONAS for a long time and, across every role I’ve held, my favourite part has always been the customers.
People make this industry what it is. From my early days as a Sales Representative through to my role as CEO, I’ve learned an enormous amount simply by listening to customers and understanding their businesses. Those relationships have shaped many of the decisions we’ve made as a company, and they’re a big reason why I’ve stayed in the industry.
What are the things that frustrate you about the sector?
One thing that frustrates me is that our industry can sometimes accept different standards for products that ultimately perform the same function. Greater consistency in quality, compliance and environmental responsibility would benefit everyone. I believe raising standards across the industry ultimately builds greater trust for customers, and that’s something everyone benefits from.
ON THE MOVE
Showerwall has appointed Gareth Griffiths as
commercial director. Previously key account manager, he will now take the lead on shaping how the Newcastle-under-
Lyme based manufacturer and supplier can best support its network of UK customers.
STARK Building Materials UK has appointed Jan Green as chief commercial officer. She brings more than 12 years of experience, with a background of building
supplier partnerships, identifying growth opportunities and delivering value
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Polypipe Building Services has appointed Simon Russell as UK sales and marketing director. following a wider leadership restructure within Genuit, alongside Tom
Murray’s appointment as md of Polypipe Building Services, and Andy Cullum as md of Commercial Buildings Segment.
Samac Fixings has expanded its sales teams in Scotland and the West Midlands. Laurie
Robertson joins as Scottish sales manager, and Rowin Hazeleger as area sales manager for the West Midlands, responsible for supporting customers and developing new business opportunities.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net August 2026
Civils and drainage specialist, Keyline, has promoted Dave Ganley to regional director for the north, which extends from Inverness in Scotland to Worcestershire in the south.
Ronal Bathroom Group has appointed Ethan Phillips as regional sales manager for its Kudos Showers business, covering Wales and the south- west of England.
RICHARD SLOAN
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