Former Grosvenor Garden Centre MD and GCA Executive member Iain Wylie has been appointed Interim Chief Executive of the GCA, following the departure of Phil Slinger.

Iain took on the new role following a GCA Board meeting this week and will lead the GCA through to conference in January 2013, helping the board find a new permanent CEO along the way.

“There are so many positive things going on at the GCA, I’m really pleased to be the person helping them come to fruition and take the organisation forward.”

Iain told GTN Xtra last night that as well as preparing for conference the Grow e-learning initiative would be a major area of focus for him. “Over 60 member garden centres have already signed up for Grow and the first modules will be going live very soon.” 

“I’m genuinely impressed by the amount of work that has been completed on the Grow project since it was launched at the 2012 conference by Tammy Woodhouse and Mike Burks.  Grow will be a huge help to member garden centres.  They will get great value from their investment.”

GCA Chairman Peter Burks also underlined the significance of the GCA e-learning initiative.  “E-learning is becoming so popular when we have new recruits at The Garden Centre Group many of them complete their initial learning modules before they arrive for their first day.”

The GCA’s appointment of an existing executive board member to run their trade association follows in the footsteps of the HTA who have just appointed Carol Paris as Director General, moving from the Presidents role.  “We’re not copying the HTA,” commented Peter Burks, “just doing the sensible thing to keep the steady growth in membership of the past 2 years and increased value to members moving in the right direction.”

Peter Burks has been talking with Carol Paris over the past 12 months about many issues to get the industry working together including the possibility of the GCA office moving back to the HTA headquarters in Theale.

With 3 key trade associations all now being run by people who have many years of gardening retail knowledge at their fingertips – Carol Paris at the HTA, Neil Gow at GIMA and Iain Wylie at GCA - this may be the best opportunity for co-operation across the industry to help grow the gardening market we’ve ever had.

In the meantime Iain Wylie will be spending a mix of time at the GCA office in Leafield whilst getting out and about to spend time with members during the launch of Grow.