Metamark UK has appointed Phil Wild as CEO to spearhead an expansion programme aimed at driving sales beyond £100m via merger and acquisition, new product introductions and organic growth in its core sign and display markets.
Paul French, previously Metamark’s CEO, now assumes a new full-time role as Metamark’s executive chairman retaining strategic oversight. French, who joined the company in 2012, led an MBO to acquire Metamark from its founders in 2017 with the backing of Primary Capital, and has since overseen substantial profitable growth.
Wild spent ten years as CEO of James Cropper, which during his tenure saw a tenfold profit growth. He brings acquisition and integration experience to Metamark, and expertise in developing and managing growth in niche, speciality, and disruptive materials businesses. Before his tenure at James Cropper, Wild - a graduate engineer - was at 3M for two decades, progressing in various directorial roles.
Metamark has announced its intentions to accelerate its growth on new international fronts and to launch disruptive new products that allow it to enter new markets worldwide. It confirmed it will continue to develop new products for signs and graphics producers too.
The company has also signposted the expansion of MetaStream, its programme to recycle production and recovered waste materials - including printed and laminated graphics and retired vehicle liveries. The programme takes these materials and turns them into articles that can themselves be recycled time and again.
In welcoming Wild as CEO, French said: “Phil joins Metamark at an important time on its journey. Metamark has demonstrated well-rounded technical and commercial capabilities and the attraction of its brand in all the markets and regions of the world where its products are available. Pressing our advantages at pace and scale will make Metamark a bigger and even more profitable company than it is today. We needed another set of experienced hands to run with this latent potential and I know we have found them. I will now have the time I need to further our strategic planning and see Metamark deliver the next phase in its continuing growth.”
Wild said of his new role: “I’m delighted to have found Metamark and to have accepted the CEO role as the company positions to deliver its full promise and potential. We get to work with immediate effect looking to accelerate organic growth across all areas of the business, and further explore various merger and acquisition opportunities whilst also pulling through an exciting new products pipeline that will attract more new customers to the company. Metamark contemplates a wider international horizon and will be pressing on with its partners and behind new business models that serve the needs of our core markets and beyond. Metamark has a great brand, wonderful products, and very talented people. I’m fully committed to our success.”