Independent print and packaging business Bakers has appointed Harry and Tom Baker as directors, formally bringing the third generation of the Baker family into the leadership of the company.



Harry becomes Commercial Director, while Tom takes on the role of Operations Director.

For those who know the business well, the appointments will not come as a huge surprise. Both have been taking on more responsibility over the past few years and have gradually become more involved in the decisions shaping Bakers. The change makes that responsibility official.

Bakers was founded by Roy and Marian Baker in 1973 and is today led by their son, Managing Director Steve Baker. Steve believes the timing is right for Harry and Tom to take the next step, particularly as the company heads into one of the most ambitious periods of growth and investment in its history.

Steve said:

“We’ve never been a business that gets too hung up on job titles, but becoming a director does carry a different level of responsibility.

“Harry and Tom have both been doing more and more for some time, so this isn’t a case of suddenly giving them a title and expecting them to grow into it. They’ve already been growing into the roles.

“I felt a difference as soon as we made it official. Some of the weight shifted. They’re going to have their own ideas, they’ll challenge things and they’ll want to push the business in their own way. That’s healthy and it’s what we need.”

A broader commercial role for Harry

Harry has spent much of the past few years closely involved with BakPac, Bakers’ flexible packaging division, and has played a significant role in its commercial growth. As Commercial Director, his view now broadens across Baker Labels, Baker Materials, BakPac and Sportstiks.

For Harry, the appointment is less about the title itself and more about the accountability that comes with it.
“Dad has always brought us up with the idea that you earn the role first,” Harry said.

“You don’t get handed the medal and then run the race. You do the work, create some value and prove that you can take the responsibility on.

“In a way, the title catches up with what we’ve already been doing. The difference now is that my role becomes wider. I’ve been very BakPac focused, so I’m looking forward to getting more involved across the whole business and challenging some of the things we’ve always done simply because we’ve always done them.”

He also believes having a formal director title will carry useful weight as Bakers increasingly deals with larger brands and more complex commercial opportunities.

Tom takes responsibility for operations

Tom’s new role focuses on the operational side of the business: production, processes, systems, training, standards and the people responsible for delivering them. He sees his job as supporting the teams already running the day to day operation while bringing greater clarity and structure as Bakers gets bigger.

“The business is at a different scale now,” said Tom. “You can run a company of 30 people in a very different way to a company of 120 plus people.

“What I want to bring is a bit more structure and clarity without losing the things that make Bakers feel like Bakers. I don’t want us tobecome a big company that feels corporate. I want us to become a bigger company that still feels like the small company.

“A big part of that is people. I’d like someone joining us to be able to see a proper path through the business – operator, team leader, supervisor, management – and know there are opportunities here if they want them.
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Tom said the family connection also gives the role a particular sense of responsibility.

“There are the people working here now, but there are also all the people who came before us and helped get the business to this point. You do feel a responsibility to carry that on and take it somewhere further.”

The timing feels right

The appointments come just as Bakers prepares to reveal details of Operation Next Gen, a major multi-million pound investment programme that will significantly expand the company’s manufacturing footprint and capacity.

Steve will remain Managing Director and continue to be closely involved in both the day to day business and its longer term direction.

For him, putting Harry and Tom alongside him at director level is about strengthening the leadership around that growth rather than handing it over.

“They’ve still got plenty to learn – we all have,” Steve added.

“We’ve got a really experienced management team, supervisor team and people throughout the company who know this business inside out. Harry and Tom need to keep listening to them, challenging them and learning from them.

“What matters to me is that Bakers stays strong, stays independent and stays family run. Having the next generation properly involved gives us a lot of confidence about where we can go from here.”

www.bakerlabels.co.uk