Premier Farnell's CEO heading to Thomas Cook

Harriet Green, who has been the Chief Executive at electronic components supplier Premier Farnell since 2006, has announced her - some might say brave - decision to leave the company and take over at the helm of embattled travel company Thomas Cook.

Green will step down from her current role after the annual general meeting on June 12th, but will stay on until the end of July following a hand over period.

The company is replacing Green with Laurence Bain, who joined the company in 2002 and the board the following year. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer and has played a key role in the development and delivery of the company's strategy, including the successful growth of its eCommerce solutions and its expansion into international markets.

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Prior to joining Premier Farnell, he held a number of senior executive roles, including director of operations for Motorola in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Nicholas Cadbury, Chief Financial Officer, will work closely with Laurence to support him in his new role and will assume some of the responsibilities currently undertaken by Laurence, the firm said.

Bain added: "I am very positive about the opportunities ahead of us. With continued focus on providing great service to the engineering community, our multichannel strategy, led by the web and growth in emerging markets, I believe that the company can go from strength to strength."

Green's arrival at Thomas Cook will see interim Chief Executive Officer Sam Weihagen step down from the board, though he will hang around to show Green the ropes until the end of September.

NR