Meet Our Company Directors

Chairman

Bill Brierley

Bill recently celebrated 50 years at Rodo, having joined the family business as a teenager in 1969. He became Managing Director in 1991 and under his leadership the company has enjoyed continued growth. 

Bill’s tenure has seen a myriad of business changes including diversification into new product categories, the development of brands and the expansion and modernisation of our Greater Manchester facilities.

Bill was a foremost traveller to China back in the early 80s which set the foundation for the strong supplier relationships the business enjoys today. He has a keen interest in IT and in implementing software developments to improve and streamline core business processes. 

Managing Director

Laura Brierley-Smith

Laura represents the 4th generation of the Brierley family business. She is responsible for setting the people strategy and plans at Rodo, including colleague engagement, reward and change management.

Laura has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management which she achieved whilst employed within the media industry before joining Rodo in 2012.

Laura is project oriented and her passion lies in helping colleagues and teams flourish, achieve their potential and deliver great performance.

Sales & Marketing Director

Colin Thomason

Prior to his two decades at Rodo, Colin’s longest stint with another company was a mere three years, which speaks volumes about his fondness for the place. During his time with Rodo, he has enjoyed being instrumental in steering how the business has developed and grown into what it is today, and he’s equally excited as to what the future may hold. 
 
Colin is passionate about the Rodo brands and all the company employees. He is regularly seen all over the place, from the warehouse to design and accounts. His mantra is very much that everyone at Rodo is part of one team and it’s this which makes team Rodo the best.

Director of Marketing

Gary Bent

A chemist by education, Gary started his career in the R&D labs at Dulux Paints - which stands him in good stead when it comes to the technical side of Rodo’s decorating accessories - but he soon found himself in Marketing and has never looked back. 

Having joined Rodo in 2006, Gary has overseen the transformation of Rodo’s brands to become fresh, modern and appealing to the people who use or wear our products and he is proud that ours are among the leading brands in their respective markets.

Gary’s passion is product and for him, product is the lifeblood of what Rodo does. The Marketing team are constantly working on new ideas to help people do their jobs better, faster or more safely and there’s nothing quite like the buzz of the first delivery of something new.

Director of Operations & Logistics

Wayne Fitzpatrick

Wayne can be found managing the numerous day-to-day challenges to ensure that both of Rodo’s bustling sites run in a smooth and efficient manner. 

He has been at the forefront of the implementation and supervision of new onsite technology which has successfully streamlined and advanced warehouse fulfilment needs.

Director of IT

Chris Thorpe

Chris joined Rodo from a global multi-sector company. He has extensive experience leading and developing IT operations and infrastructure.  

He now spends his time designing, implementing and Project managing our new Microsoft Business central ERP system, whilst also delivering the IT strategy to align with Rodo business objectives. 

Finance Director

Hannah Lee

Starting out in Practice over 20 years ago and making her move into industry after qualifying in 2003, Hannah has built a wealth of knowledge and experience over the years across multiple business sectors.

Hannah spent the decade prior to starting at Rodo as FD on the board of a communications company, focussing on strategic financial leadership and driving business growth with the team.

 

Director of Sourcing & Purchasing

Paul Ellor

Paul has been with Rodo for over 30 years, working specifically within purchasing from around the late nineties.

Since 2006 he has been a regular visitor to China, establishing a supply chain across 120 cities and gaining an invaluable insight into the county’s cultural and business practices.

Non-Executive Director

Darryl Williamson

Darryl first joined Rodo as an external consultant. As the company continued to develop and expand, the position eventually evolved into full-time Finance Director. It was a role he enjoyed for more than 15 years before stepping down from a full-time executive position in December 2021.

He is now employed in a non-executive director capacity, concentrating on business strategy and future development, whilst also contributing towards executive management meetings.
Meet Our Company Directors

Managing Director

Laura Brierley-Smith

Laura represents the 4th generation of the Brierley family business. She is responsible for setting the people strategy and plans at Rodo, including colleague engagement, reward and change management.

Laura has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management which she achieved whilst employed within the media industry before joining Rodo in 2012.

Laura is project oriented and her passion lies in helping colleagues and teams flourish, achieve their potential and deliver great performance.




Chairman

Bill Brierley

Bill recently celebrated 50 years at Rodo, having joined the family business as a teenager in 1969. He became Managing Director in 1991 and under his leadership the company has enjoyed continued growth. 

Bill’s tenure has seen a myriad of business changes including diversification into new product categories, the development of brands and the expansion and modernisation of our Greater Manchester facilities.

Bill was a foremost traveller to China back in the early 80s which set the foundation for the strong supplier relationships the business enjoys today. He has a keen interest in IT and in implementing software developments to improve and streamline core business processes. 

Sales & Marketing Director

Colin Thomason

Prior to his two decades at Rodo, Colin’s longest stint with another company was a mere three years, which speaks volumes about his fondness for the place. During his time with Rodo, he has enjoyed being instrumental in steering how the business has developed and grown into what it is today, and he’s equally excited as to what the future may hold. 
 
Colin is passionate about the Rodo brands and all the company employees. He is regularly seen all over the place, from the warehouse to design and accounts. His mantra is very much that everyone at Rodo is part of one team and it’s this which makes team Rodo the best.

Director of IT

Chris Thorpe

Chris joined Rodo from a global multi-sector company. He has extensive experience leading and developing IT operations and infrastructure.  

He now spends his time designing, implementing and Project managing our new Microsoft Business central ERP system, whilst also delivering the IT strategy to align with Rodo business objectives. 

Director of Sourcing & Purchasing

Paul Ellor

Paul has been with Rodo for over 30 years, working specifically within purchasing from around the late nineties.

Since 2006 he has been a regular visitor to China, establishing a supply chain across 120 cities and gaining an invaluable insight into the county’s cultural and business practices.


Director of Operations & Logistics

Wayne Fitzpatrick

Wayne can be found managing the numerous day-to-day challenges to ensure that both of Rodo’s bustling sites run in a smooth and efficient manner. 

He has been at the forefront of the implementation and supervision of new onsite technology which has successfully streamlined and advanced warehouse fulfilment needs.

Finance Director

Hannah Lee

Starting out in Practice over 20 years ago and making her move into industry after qualifying in 2003, Hannah has built a wealth of knowledge and experience over the years across multiple business sectors.

Hannah spent the decade prior to starting at Rodo as FD on the board of a communications company, focussing on strategic financial leadership and driving business growth with the team.

 

Non-Executive Director

Darryl Williamson

Darryl first joined Rodo as an external consultant. As the company continued to develop and expand, the position eventually evolved into
full-time Finance Director. It was a role he enjoyed for more than 15 years before stepping down from a full-time executive position in December 2021.

He is now employed in a non-executive director capacity, concentrating
on business strategy and future development, whilst also contributing towards executive management meetings.

Director of PPE

Josh Morris-Adams

Joining Rodo in 2023, Josh has a wealth of experience in the PPE industry, having previously operated at a senior level in sales and distribution of some major brands.

Josh is focusing on developing and implementing new strategies and business plans to support further growth and success.

Director of Marketing

Gary Bent

A chemist by education, Gary started his career in the R&D labs at Dulux Paints - which stands him in good stead when it comes to the technical side of Rodo’s decorating accessories - but he soon found himself in Marketing and has never looked back.

Having joined Rodo in 2006, Gary has overseen the transformation of Rodo’s brands to become fresh, modern and appealing to the people who use or wear our products and he is proud that ours are among the leading brands in their respective markets.

Gary’s passion is product and for him, product is the lifeblood of what Rodo does. The Marketing team are constantly working on new ideas to help people do their jobs better, faster or more safely and there’s nothing quite like the buzz of the first delivery of something new.