DCS Group has made two senior appointments to its sales team as the company pushes towards its £1bn revenue target by 2035.
Claire Silver joins the leadership team as sales director, reporting into chief revenue officer Simon Whitehead, while Ashley Lawrence has been hired as DCS’s new business unit controller for food and wholesale.
Silver brings more than 25 years of fmcg experience to the role. Her career spans senior commercial, category and customer marketing roles at major global organisations including Mars Confectionery, Mars Food, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, and most recently Kenvue.
DCS Group said she had a “proven track record” of delivering sustained growth while building long-standing relationships with leading retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Boots.
Lawrence, meanwhile, brings over a decade of fmcg experience to his new role, gained at leading global brands including PepsiCo, General Mills, GSK and Nestlé.
With career experience spanning R&D, operations and sales, DCS Group said his “core expertise” lay in navigating the UK retail environment across all major channels, including supermarkets, discounters, wholesalers, convenience, and e-commerce.
Under Silver’s sales team, Lawrence will be responsible for expanding the company’s footprint beyond its roots in household, toiletries and health and beauty, following the launch of a new food division last month.
The new food division has secured strategic partnerships with General Mills and Unilever Foods, transitioning key contracts previously managed by SHS Group. The division already represents £20m in annualised sales, according to DCS.
DCS said it planned to grow the food division to £40m within 18 months and to £500m within five years.
“I’m excited to be joining a family-owned company whose values and ambitions truly reflect my own,” said Silver. “The recent new business wins demonstrate the real momentum behind DCS’s journey toward the £1bn milestone and I’m energised to help accelerate that growth.
“One of the company’s greatest strengths is its fully integrated model across sales and distribution, expert category management and insight, co-packing, manufacturing and fulfilment. Having the customer at the centre of everything we do has always motivated my career, and I’m proud to join a business that lives that philosophy.”
Lawrence said: “I have long admired DCS because of its entrepreneurial spirit and the impressive growth it has consistently delivered over more than 30 years. Taking this role within such a forward-thinking company is an incredible opportunity, and one I’m extremely excited about.”
Whitehead added: “Both Claire and Ashley bring exceptional experience, energy and commercial acumen to DCS. Their appointments mark an exciting step forward as we scale the business, deepen our partnerships and expand into new categories. I’m delighted to welcome them to the team.”
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