XYZ Machine Tools appoints new commercial director

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​Trevor Harreld has joined XYZ Machine Tools as its new commercial director, although the company is not new to him.

He first came into contact with XYZ Machine Tools in the mid-1990s while working as audit manager for the South West’s leading firm of chartered accountants, Francis Clark.

Qualified with a BSc Mathematics, first class honours degree, from Lancaster University and additional teaching qualifications from Cambridge University, Trevor has had a long career in finance. This includes working for leading chartered accountancy firms, as well as roles as finance director in the construction and support services sectors prior to setting up his own consultancy business supporting clients’ focus on strategic objectives, process efficiency and operational management. While successful, the opportunity to be part of the XYZ Machine Tool success story was too good to miss, and he says the advertisement for the role of commercial director could have been written with him in mind.

“Joining such a well-established and successful business brings its own challenges, therefore in the first 12-months I will be shadowing Keith Wilson, who retires in September, and working alongside other members of the senior management team. This will give me the opportunity to identify potential improvements in systems and processes to drive operational and financial performance,” he says.

“My role will be about evolution, not revolution, and my experience in pulling together marginal gains to deliver big results will be at the heart of my work. I think this approach fits well with an engineering company, particularly XYZ, where I feel it will complement Nigel Atherton’s enthusiasm and attention to detail.”

Hareld will also bring his experience of providing the commercial input to support development into new markets and territories to bear as XYZ Machine Tools continues to expand into new markets and sectors.

Says Nigel Atherton, managing director, XYZ Machine Tools: “It is a pleasure to welcome Trevor to XYZ Machine Tools at what is an exciting time, with new products and opportunities and a renewed energy for developing the business driving XYZ Machine Tools forward. His broad experience from consultancy to hands-on business development will fit well with the management team as we continue to push for continued growth.”