DIANE HARDING

CURRICULUM VITAE

 

 SUMMARY OF MY EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• 35+ years experience in the textile industry.
• 5 of which were spent as a Textile Designer for 2 different textile companies.
• Followed by 10 years as Founder and Managing Director of Wilson Wilcox Furnishings Ltd – a middle market, design led furnishing fabric and wallcovering converter – I founded and built the company from zero to £5.5M sales from 1989 to 1999.
• I developed an Internationally acclaimed brand with 50% of total revenue gained from Exporting to over 50 countries worldwide.
• Established over 2000 accounts in the UK with 50% of the business being direct to retail and the balance to manufacturers of furniture, curtains, cushions, garden furniture and accessories such as child car seats, prams & toiletry bags.
• In the last 20+ years I have established a successful consultancy in design, marketing, sales and recruitment …‘Norfolk House’ – assisting furnishing fabric companies in the improvement of their brand, product development, marketing, sales and recruitment.
• Over the last 35 years I have built and managed a team of employees from 1 to 50.

 

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

• The BRITISH INTERIORS & TEXTILES ASSOCIATION – present Managing Director; first female on council; Chairman from 1999 – May 2001; Vice Chairman from 2002 – 2014.

• COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE – ‘ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 1993’

• GOVERNMENT ‘SMALL BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR 1994’ presented at 11 Downing Street.

• YORKSHIRE TV – ‘EXPORTER OF THE YEAR FINALIST IN 1993 & 1994’

 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• An inspirational leader – who designs and implements winning strategies through outstanding Product development, Sales and Marketing.

• An innovative stylist – with an eye for ensuring the latest trends are translated into exciting yet commercial designs and colourways.

• An outstanding communicator who exhibits an open and honest management style and highly developed relationship skills.

• A customer ‘champion’ who harnesses people, process and technology to provide a consistently first class customer service.

• A highly creative and effective Director – who combines a sound understanding of business finance and operational drivers with proven change management abilities to produce strong and sustainable business growth.

 

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2000 – to date   Founder, Owner and Managing Director

Maison Furnishings Ltd T/A Norfolk House Consultants, Milton Keynes, Bucks

Consultants to the Furnishings industry – offering assistance in Design, Marketing, Sales & Recruitment – Worldwide.

 

1989 – 1999       Founder, shareholder and Managing Director

Wilson Wilcox Furnishings Ltd, Huddersfield, W Yorks.

Middle market design led furnishing fabric and wallcoverings converter.

 

1986 – 1989       Design Manager

Filigree Textiles, South Normanton, Derbyshire.

Middle market – lace curtain manufacturer and printed furnishing fabric converter.

 

EDUCATION

BA (Hons) Degree in Printed Textiles – Edinburgh University.

2     A Levels – English and Art                           10   O Levels

 

DATE OF BIRTH   4 FEBRUARY 1963