There have been some notable job moves of late with a trio of well-known card buying executives moving into new roles.
The very popular Frances Burkle has just joined WHSmith High Street as its business unit director for stationery (which includes greeting cards).
Following her decision to leave Paperchase in February (after 20 years with the retailer, latterly as product director) Frances has been working on special projects for Scribbler for the past few months.
Frances has several decades of industry experience. She joined Paperchase as card buyer back at the start of 2001, moving from where she had been assistant buyer for cards and stationery. During her time with Paperchase Frances was not only a leading light on the buying side, both directly as well as managerially, she was also heavily involved in the product development.
Meanwhile, Briony Clarke, who was part of the Card Factory buying team for over six years has now joined Scribbler to take on the role as head of product. Briony’s greeting card experience began in 2013 when she was the greeting card, wrap and party buyer at Wilko. Having joined Card Factory in 2015, initially as its licensed buyer, she then moved into buying the chain’s wrap and bags, before taking on the role as senior buyer for greeting cards two years ago.
Making it a hat trick of changes, Sainsbury’s senior buyer of greeting cards, wrap and party, Kate Goss has left the grocer to take up a new role as creative manager of Golden Bear, the long established toy company.
Kate spent nine years in the Sainsbury’s buying team. Prior to the last six months as senior buyer of greeting cards, wrap and party, Kate was senior buyer of stationery and before that the gifting & events buyer for the supermarket.
Holly Whait has been appointed as Sainsbury’s new senior buyer for cards and wrap and will be starting in mid-December. Holly is an experienced senior buyer and has worked in Sainsburys Home for a number of years, across multiple categories.
Emma Tanner will be heading on maternity leave in December with recruitment underway for her cover now.
Sainsbury’s won the Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards at The Retas 2021 last week.
Top: (left-right) Frances Burkle, Briony Clarke and Kate Goss.
