Sandersons appoints board of Directors

Sandersons appoints board of Directors

11 December 2020

Sandersons Department Stores has appointed three new Directors to the board this week.

Managing Director Lisa Fox, Buying Director Philippa Meighan and E-Commerce Director Fran O’Connell have all been appointed to their new roles, strengthening the Management team as the company prepares to open its third store in Spring 2021.

Lisa Fox was appointed the Manager of Sandersons’ flagship Sheffield store in 2016 by the company’s late founder, Deborah Holmes. Since then she has worked closely with her Directors and has been integral to the development and expansion of the business.

Lisa headed up the opening of the second Sandersons store in Morpeth, which opened in October 2020. Lisa takes on the role as Managing Director following 22 years’ experience in the retail industry.

Philippa Meighan joined the company in November 2019 and has now been appointed as Sandersons’ Buying Director. Philippa has over 25 years’ experience in the retail industry, working for a number of multinational global retail brands including Topshop, River Island and New Look.

Philippa has worked closely with the CEO on introducing a number of key, luxury brands to Sandersons, as part of the company’s wider strategy to establish an unrivalled retail experience in the UK. 

Fran O’Connell started her career at Sandersons as a Sales Assistant when the store first opened in 2016, studying for a degree in Business Management and Leadership alongside her role in the store.

Fran has achieved several promotions within Sandersons – firstly to Manager of the Clarins concession and then to E-Commerce Manager in March this year. Since taking charge of the E-Commerce side of the business, Fran has played a key role in establishing the stores online presence and significantly growing sales. She now takes on her new role as E-Commerce Director.

The newly formed board will concentrate on growing the business, establishing a third store which is set to open in the Cotswolds in spring 2021. They will also work on strengthening the product ranges in the Sheffield and Morpeth stores as well as online – which has been the biggest growth area for the business this year.

CEO of Sandersons, Mark Dransfield said: “I am delighted to welcome Lisa, Philippa and Fran to the Board of Directors at Sandersons. They are exceptional individuals who have shown leadership and loyalty throughout what has been a challenging period.

“The company has performed exceptionally well during 2020 and we see a large gap in the marketplace where strong Market towns have recovered much faster than city centre locations and this is where we see our future growth.

“We strive to deliver exceptional customer service in an experiential environment. Our store’s product range is growing in sophistication and this fits perfectly with our target customers.”

Sandersons was founded in 2016 by the late Yorkshire Businesswoman Deborah Holmes. Her husband, Mark Dransfield, took over the business in 2018. Mark is also the founder and Managing Director of the award-winning South Yorkshire property company, Dransfield Properties.

For more information about Sandersons please visit www.sandersonsdeptstore.co.uk 

Note to Editors:

Sandersons was established in September 2016 at Fox Valley in North Sheffield. Sandersons second store opened in October 2020 at Sanderson Arcade in Morpeth and a third store is set to open at Stroud’s Five Valleys Shopping Centre in spring 2021.

The independent boutique store is home to a number of top fashion brands including Barbour, Barbour International, Pennyblack, Holland Cooper, Hobbs, Ventcouvert, Ugg, Jacob Cohen Jeans, Gran Sasso, Guide London and more.

Sandersons also stocks a wide range of high end, luxury fragrance which has been sourced from around the globe. Fragrance brands include Parfums de Marley, Initio, Atkinsons, Histoires de Parfums and Robert Piquet.

In 2019, Sandersons Fox Valley store won the Drapers Independent Best New Retailer award.

Picture shows (L-R) Fran O'Connell, Lisa Fox and Philippa Meighan 

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk