Handset manufacturer makes five key appointments including ex-Vodafone director Rob Shardlow
Bullitt Group has bolstered its management team with the addition of five industry veterans as it looks to ramp up international sales.
The handset manufacturer, which builds devices for brands including CAT, JCB, Kodak and Land Rover, is keen to continue its rapid growth, having seen revenues rise from £188,000 in 2011 to almost £61 million in its most recent results.
The most notable appointment includes former Vodafone, EE and Virgin employee Rob Shardlow as new chief of sales across the EMEA region. Shardlow joins having spent almost five years as COO at Virgin Media. Prior to that, he had a six month stint with EE as interim sales director and two years with Vodafone in the same role.
Driving forward
His responsibilities will include driving sales across carriers and B2B in South Asia and Australia.
“One of our focuses has been on building a team that can take the company forward,” said Bullitt chief operating officer Lawrence Corbett, who himself only joined in February.
“That’s why we’ve appointed a number of key heavyweights to new roles.”
Bullitt has also appointed former Speedo CEO Andy Morris (pictured, above, with Shardlow) as its new CFO.
Shardlow and Morris are joined by a number of former Motorola Mobility and Lenovo staff who have left the manufacturer for various reasons in recent months.
New additions
These include Evencio Fernandez,who left his position as Motorola Mobility VP of outsourcing procurement after 30 years with the manufacturer, to fill the newly-created position as chief technology officer. Fernandez, who had worked for Motorola since 1987, will focus on manufacturing and development.
Henrik Asbjorn, who left his role as Motorola VP EME in 2012 after five years, will become Bullitt’s chief of sales EMEA distribution in July, while former Motorola VP of global sales Dan Papalia has become its new chief of sales for the Americas and Eastern Asia.
“Evencio brings an enormous amount of experience across the sector, while Andy has led some major brands,” said Corbett.
“We are beefing up our sales division, taking a model that we know works, and scaling it with these appointments.”
The additions take numbers at Bullitt to 140, with 80 based here in the UK.
