Wholesale

PARFETTS

Parfetts champions employee-ownership

New employee voice manager will be responsible for supporting team members through voice groups.

Wholesaler Parfetts has appointed Zoe Taylor to the new role of employee voice manager.

Taylor will be responsible for supporting team members through voice groups and the company and employee trust boards. She will lead the maintenance, communication, and future development of the employee ownership culture at Parfetts.

The company was established in 1980 by the Parfetts family. A majority was sold to an Employee Trust Board in 2008, and it became fully employee-owned in October 2018. Parfetts has grown 85% in the past five years.

Guy Swindell, joint Managing Director of Parfetts, said: “Employee-ownership is part of our DNA, and we are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our team members and enhance the benefits of the model to the business. Zoe brings a real passion for Parfetts to the role.”

Martin Race, Chairman of the Employee Trust Board, added: “Parfetts’ continuing success is based on its people, who are all part-owners of the business. Zoe’s appointment will further strengthen our employee-owned culture, structure and processes, and I wish her all the best in this important role.”

Taylor will also work alongside the voice depot groups to arrange employee activities around social and charity events and keep abreast of employee ownership developments that may benefit the company.

She said: “I’m excited to start my new role and champion employee-ownership within the business. Parfetts is growing quickly and employee-ownership is an essential part of that success.”

Employee-owned businesses are totally or significantly owned by their employees and account for 4% of UK GDP annually and businesses that operate this model achieve higher productivity, greater levels of innovation and are more resilient to economic turbulence, according to the Employee Ownership Association. They also have more engaged, more fulfilled, and less stressed workforces.