Liveryman and corporate liverymen admitted at December court meeting

We are delighted to welcome seven corporate liverymen and one new liveryman to The Furniture Makers’ Company.

The admission ceremony took place on Tuesday 7 December at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London, during the December court meeting.

On admitting the new members, David Woodward, Master, said: “It was a great pleasure and privilege to admit this group of talented people as corporate liverymen and Sam as Liveryman. I’m looking forward to working with them all in the future.”

The new members admitted were:

Sam Ryan – liveryman

Sam is a furniture maker and restorer who has been running his own business for eight years following his studies at Buckinghamshire New University.

Nichola Bell – corporate liveryman at of the Belfield Group

Sales director Nichola Bell has been in the furniture industry for 15 years and currently holds the position of Sales Director at Westbridge Furniture Designs, one of the UK’s largest upholstery manufacturers. She is passionate about promoting the British Furniture industry and is a proud Board Member of the BFM.

Paul Willsher – corporate liveryman for Biesse Group UK

Paul has worked at Biesse Group UK Limited for seven years, starting as an area sales manager following a successful career within the furniture manufacturing industry. He is now UK wood commercial director, part of the senior management team driving the sales team forward helping customers improve process and efficiency.

Alan Williams – corporate liveryman for Camira Fabrics

Alan is chief operating officer at Camira Fabrics. Camira design and manufacture upholstery and panel textiles for every space and sector, from commercial and education, to healthcare and hospitality, to passenger transport including bus, coach and rail. Leading Camira into a new era, Alan looks after every element of our company’s market facing direction – from manufacturing to contract sales. Alan has been part of the Camira team for nearly 20 years.

Ross Thurston – corporate liveryman at Millbrook UK

Ross is operations director at Millbrook UK for over 20 years, working his way up the to become part of the senior management team. He is heavily involved in driving the business forward and in the UK, expanding into the United States of America and worldwide.

Lisa Montague – corporate liveryman at Sanderson Design Group

Lisa has worked as a company director since the age of 25 and enjoys an international reputation in the fashion luxury goods industry. Working and living in London, Paris, New York and Duesseldorf, Lisa then moved with her and family to Madrid to take up the role of CEO at Loewe for seven years from 2009 to 2016. Since April 2019, Lisa has been CEO of Sanderson Design Group plc, formerly Walker Greenbank plc.

Carla Barnett – corporate liveryman at Sanderson Design Group

Carla is a senior HR professional who has gained significant experience working in the fashion and luxury goods, FMCG and Publishing industries. Carla holds a MA from Warwick Business School and has several professional qualifications, including CIPD. Before joining Sanderson Design Group, Carla lived in the Middle East and was the Head of Human Resources at Burberry plc. Since November 2016, Carla has been group HR director of Sanderson Design Group plc, formerly Walker Greenbank plc.

Claire Vallis – corporate liveryman at Sanderson Design Group

Claire has been with the group for 25 years and is the current creative director. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge across manufacturing and design, making her an unrivalled industry expert. She personifies the integrity and history of the Brands and uses this to inspire a creative vision for the future.