Evergreen Garden Care has announced changes to its executive leadership team, effective from 1st December 2022. Karl Kahofer, current CEO will transition to Executive Chairman position; Mark Portman, current UK & Ireland GM, will take on the role of CEO; as a new appointment, Colin Stephens, will succeed Mark as UK & Ireland GM.
Karl Kahofer, currently CEO, will transition into the position of Executive Chairman. Karl joined Evergreen in September 2017, and in the subsequent 5 years, has led successful business growth. Having steered the business through the challenges of the pandemic and its aftermath in 2022, it is now an appropriate time to transition from day-to-day leadership of the business to a more strategic role. In the Executive Chairman role, Karl will lead the Evergreen Board of Directors, as well as providing strategic input to the business.
Mark Portman has retained the role of UK & Ireland GM since joining Evergreen in March 2018, where he has led the transformation of the UK region and re-established it as the largest, most profitable market within Evergreen. His successes in growing the business, driving category development and innovation, and building strong relationships with retail partners, will be utilised in his new role as CEO. He will now lead the business in its journey of growth, as he takes on everyday operating control across all aspects of the global business.
Succeeding Mark in December, as UK & Ireland GM, will be Colin Stephens. He joins Evergreen from Genius, the Private Equity-backed gluten-free bakery business, where he led all commercial functions, delivering industry-leading business growth for Genius. He has also experience working in multiple Private Equity businesses, having also held senior positions at Whitworths, a leading UK supplier of branded dried fruit and nuts. It is Colin’s proven track record of strategic leadership and turning strategy into action that has seen him appointed into the Evergreen UK & Ireland GM role. In his new role, Colin’s primary objectives will be to further drive the growth of the UK business, focus on growing and developing category innovation, as well as ensuring the company’s core value of sustainability is implemented at every touch point.
Mark Portman of Evergreen Garden Care says: “I’m looking forward to starting my new role as CEO in December and would like to thank all the UK team for their support over the past 4½ years. I take over from Karl a business in good health with a strong team across the world, I’m excited about the opportunity to continue to lead Evergreen forward into its next phase of development. I am also delighted to welcome Colin to the business and am confident he will successfully steer the UK business forwards, into 2023 and beyond.”
Colin Stephens adds: “I’m delighted to be joining the Evergreen business to help continue the strong growth and development of the garden care category that the business has enjoyed. The Evergreen team has a track record of success in innovation and category development delivered through excellent customer relationships, and the opportunity to build on this strength and lead the next phase of the growth in the UK with this talented team is an exciting challenge.”
As a part of these changes, Andy Higginson, the current Non-Executive Chairman will remain on the Board of Directors and serve the business as a Non-Executive Director.
