Two new key appointments at iForce

iForce, the UK’s leading specialist outsourced logistics operator, has appointed Malcolm Cooper as Finance Director.

Malcolm was previously Group Finance Director of Acal plc, the specialist supplier of technology products and services. Malcolm worked within senior Acal Group and subsidiary finance director roles for 11 years. Prior to joining Acal, Malcolm worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and the BOC Group. Malcolm qualified as a chartered accountant in 1986.

As Finance Director, Malcolm will play a key role in iForce’s leadership team, reporting to CEO Mark Hewitt. Commenting on his new role, Malcolm said: "This is an exciting time to be joining iForce. As the market leader in specialist efulfilment and cross-channel returns logistics services, it is supporting blue-chip retailers through significant growth in their on-line sales. The company’s continually developing, sector leading services give the company tremendous prospects. With the company having made impressive developments in financial terms, I’m looking forward to playing a significant part in iForce’s continuing successful growth."

Mark Hewitt, CEO of iForce commented: "I would like to welcome Malcolm to the team at iForce. We are thrilled to have appointed a Finance Director with such formidable experience of working with major PLCs to this vital role of supporting iForce’s continuing successful growth."

In this role, Mark is responsible for iForce’s new refurbishment and remarketing service. Having gone through iForce’s extensive business induction programme Mark has established iForce’s first refurbishment facility within iForce’s Saltley Park Returns processing centre.

Mark brings an enormous amount of experience in service, refurbishment and remarketing to iForce. Over the course of his career, Mark has built a number of businesses, all in the repair, refurbishment and remarketing of product from both the IT and Consumer Electronics industries. In addition, Mark has held a number of senior management and board positions in companies in this field. In 2009, Mark began using his formidable expertise for a spell as a consultant before being convinced to join the iForce team in July 2010 and execute what Mark describes as "the dream job".

Commenting on his new role, Mark said: "iForce is renowned for its returns processing operations. Previously unrefurbished product would be sold on to jobbers. Now, with my team, I will be responsible for refurbishing products and selling them on. Initially I will be doing this in iForce’s Saltley facility where iForce handles returns. This saves iForce clients a lot of money – companies can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds moving stock around in the returns process without adding any value to it. By providing this service in-house we can put a large part of that back onto a client’s bottom line. That’s my mission."

Quality and service runs through Mark’s career. He was on the BSI committee involved in the transition of BS5750 into ISO 9000 in the early 1990s and was UK director of the Association for Services Management International (AFSMI) from 1988-1992. Mark has also been a non-executive director of Bedford College since 1994. Passing his certificate and diploma in Company Direction, Mark is in the process of becoming a Chartered Company Director. In between these significant achievements Mark has been able to indulge his passion for flying gliders and, more recently, hot air balloons.

Commenting of Kiteley’s appointment, iForce’s CEO, Mark Hewitt commented "I am pleased that Mark has agreed to come on board and head up this further expansion of the suite of services we offer to our clients. To have someone with such wide experience and good track record in this important area will be a massive benefit to us as a business and for our clients."