Staffordshire businessman Jon Hardwick, managing director of the UK’s top distributor of world leading beauty brands Grafton International, has been appointed a Champion of Families in Business (FiB).
FiB works exclusively with family businesses and professional advisers across the UK to provide relevant help and support to family businesses and SMEs.
Grafton International distributes world-leading beauty brands to the UK’s biggest high street retailers, top beauty spas and salons. A family business, Grafton was founded by Jon’s parents in 1985 and he joined the business in 1993, becoming managing director in 2007.
“Our Family Business Champions are successful leading lights amongst the family business sector,” explains Dani Saveker, FiB’s founder and CEO. “They are each outstanding and successful leaders of family businesses and we have invited Jon and Grafton International to take up the role of Champion in recognition of this. He is a fantastic addition to our team.
“As part of the FiB community, our Champions provide invaluable support and first-hand insight for our family business members to the challenges, issues, solutions and best practice of their own families and businesses, and are true advocates and supporters of this sector which is so important to the UK and global economy. Family businesses account for two in every three UK private enterprises, employ over 9 million people in the UK and make up over 80 percent of all enterprises in the world.”
In joining FiB as a Champion, Jon Hardwick becomes part of an impressive line-up of family business leaders – James Timpson, CEO of shoe empire Timpson Limited, Trevor Herbert, MD of Hobbs House Bakery, and Kirsty Davies-Chinnock, MD for Professional Polishing Services, the UK’s premier stainless steel polishing company.
Jon Hardwick adds: “I’m delighted to assist Families in Business as a Champion. Family businesses are unique in their opportunities and challenges, and the tools and approach offered by FiB offer a fantastic support to help navigate some of those challenges. FiB can help families make a truly tangible difference to their business future.”
Via its growing community of professionals, advisers and family business leaders, FiB is regarded as a go-to organisation focused on providing help and support to family businesses. Created by its CEO Dani Saveker in 2012, it provides tailored support packages and programmes to member family businesses, and has a growing Exclusive Partners network that includes professional advisers and supporters of family businesses. FiB is an approved Growth Accelerator Training Provider.