Granite Transformations' Chief Operating Officer, Danny Hanlon, having taken up an equivalent post in the Group's North American operation, General Manager, Hayley Fenn now assumes day-to-day responsibility for running the UK and Ireland retail franchise, renowned for its high quality kitchen and bathroom makeovers. She will manage the head office team, oversee business growth across the showroom network and provide franchise owners with effective marketing, technical and operational support. She is one of a growing number of women engaged in senior management and ownership roles within the UK franchise industry, far above the average proportion in other sectors.
Rather more unusual in having a key executive position with the main franchisor, Hayley (41) lives in Tunbridge Wells, near to the company's UK headquarters in Decimus Park. She joined the franchisor, RSG Europe, more than ten years ago and was latterly promoted to Financial Controller, before becoming General Manager, having previously worked for AXA PPP Healthcare as a Subscriptions & Claims Supervisor. She holds a National Diploma in Business & Finance and has completed the foundation level of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) professional qualification, equipping her well for the exacting financial aspect of her role.
As General Manager, Hayley will be pushing for year-on-year Granite Transformations network growth, keeping abreast of interior design market trends and franchise owner requirements, and ensuring the right staff are in place to support the expanding business. A key project will be implementing a major network rebranding programme, which will see the transition to a new Trend Transformations brand identity and an even more diverse product portfolio, in addition to its unique core offering the top that fits on top.
"I enjoy the challenges of running a successful franchise network and becoming a leading brand in the home improvements sector," says Hayley. "No two days are ever the same in this business, making my job diverse and interesting. This year we shall be focusing on our rebrand and supporting our pilot franchise showrooms through the transition programme, making it one of the most exciting periods in our corporate history."
Fittingly, for the head of a leading name in home makeovers, Hayley has already remodelled four different houses, enabling her to move up the property ladder, and she is always on the lookout for another new project. One of her latest installations was an Italian glass mosaic feature wall in the family kitchen-diner, using an exclusive design from the parent company¹s Trend tile collection, which forms part of the extended product portfolio.
"I love the ability to refresh and revitalise the look of your home, without having to move, enabling you to explore new décor trends and personalise the living environment to suit your family and lifestyle," she comments. "That's exactly what we offer to our customers, without the usual debris, dust and disruption, and having our parent company as our manufacturer and supplier means that our showrooms are always at the cutting edge of interior finishes."
Hayley Fenn and her husband Nick have two children, Willem (6) and Isaac (4), and Nick is regularly involved in the social side of the business, attending franchise conferences, awards dinners and other occasions.