Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Richard Blake has joined IBC Buying Group as the group’s new data manager.
Blake will be responsible for developing and consolidating all aspects of data management for the buying group, its members and supplier partners. He has extensive experience of data management and analytics within the merchant industry, having worked previously for Travis Perkins, Grafton Merchanting and its subsidiary brands.
Prior to this, he spent eight years with PepsiCo in a purchasing role. He is well-versed in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, and will be using these skills to help IBC continue to manage its data strategy following the recent launch of the IBC Business Information Zone.
Blake said: “I’m thrilled to have joined IBC Buying Group during a time of such change in the industry. The trades are increasingly turning to online ordering and expect the same flexibility and customer service in their working lives that they already enjoy as consumers. Over the coming months, IBC will be implementing a range of new support services to give our independent merchant members the tools to streamline and simplify their ordering and delivery processes.
