UK/INTERNATIONAL. Cruise retail specialist Harding today announced two significant appointments to its leadership team. Mike Coupe joins as Non-Executive Chairman and Matthew Hodges is named Chief Commercial Officer and joins the Executive Leadership team. The company said that the appointments support the acceleration of its “quaternity approach – a combined partnership of cruise lines, brands, retailers and customers”.
Coupe was CEO of leading UK retailer Sainsbury’s for six years and led its takeover of Home Retail Group. In a career spanning 35 years, Coupe has also worked at a number of the UK’s other leading retail businesses including Iceland, Asda and Tesco. He joins with immediate effect and “will reinforce Harding’s expertise as a specialist retailer supporting our partners,” said the company.
Coupe said, “I’m very excited to be joining Harding at a pivotal time for the business and I look forward to working with [Managing Director] James [Prescott] and the leadership team to realise the business’ ambitions in 2021 and beyond.”
Matthew Hodges was most recently President Global Sales at Godiva, and previously held senior commercial roles at Rémy Cointreau and Diageo. Hodges joins the business on 2 August.
Hodges will lead Harding’s Global Retail Operations and Buying & Merchandising teams, reporting to James Prescott.
Hodges said: “Having worked with many of the world’s leading and innovative brands, I am delighted to be joining the Harding team. I have watched and participated in the success of the business as an outsider and now cannot wait to develop the internal programme for the next stage of growth and return to cruise.”
A statement from Harding said: “With over 20 years of travel retail experience, having led the strategic programmes for some of the world’s greatest brands, Matthew is well versed in driving commercial growth, identifying channel strategies and structures, and is no stranger to cruise, having worked with Harding on a number of dynamic retail programmes.”
James Prescott said: “The appointments of Mike and Matthew is testimony to the confidence in the cruise retail market, and our place within it. I’ve worked with Matthew over the years in various guises, and been a huge admirer of his strategic vision, action based approach, and leadership style. His reputation in the industry really is second to none.
“Mike will add significant guidance and leadership to us as we enter this exciting new phase of the journey. Both appointments strengthen an extremely strong and talented leadership team that has worked tirelessly over the past 16 months to keep the dream alive. That dream is now becoming a reality as the ships return to service.
“The new organisational structure will seriously enhance the capability of the business and support the long term partnerships we’ve established, by getting closer to the market and our customers. From a commercial overview, Matthew will be a huge asset to us, and all our business partners. I couldn’t be more delighted about this announcement.”
