Lorraine Hendle is to step down from her role as managing director of UK Brands at William Reed after 27 years with the business.
Hendle will be stepping down in August to spend time with her family and to consider new opportunities.
During her 27-year tenure, she has been described as a “defining force” in the evolution of William Reed’s UK portfolio, leading and shaping brands across grocery, manufacturing, hospitality and retail including The Grocer, Morning Advertiser, Convenience Store, Forecourt Trader and Retail Week.
Her leadership has driven significant brand transformation, audience growth, commercial innovation, and cultural change, ensuring these brands remain authoritative, relevant, and future-focused in a rapidly changing industry.
As well as the work on William Reed brands, Hendle has been a passionate advocate for supporting people across the grocery and wider food industry, having served as a Trustee of GroceryAid and as a steering group member of Grocery Girls and Farm Africa’s Food For Good initiative. In addition, she served on the boards of the Association of Convenience Stores & Morning Advertiser.
“William Reed has been my professional home for nearly three decades, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together,” said Hendle. “I’ve had the privilege of working with outstanding teams and brilliant customers, and of leading brands that genuinely matter to the industry they serve. It’s been an honour to have contributed to digital transformation, event creation and navigating fundamental structural change in the media landscape. I wish everyone at William Reed continued success.”
CEO Tracy De Groose thanked Hendle for her time at William Reed. “Lorraine has been a defining part of William Reed for almost 30 years, and her impact on our business and our industry has been significant. She has led with passion, creativity and deep customer understanding, helping to build and evolve some of our most important brands. I’m hugely grateful for everything she has given to William Reed, and we all wish her the very best for this next chapter.”
No comments yet