Bill Stewart to retire after 39 years with Klondyke/Strikes

HR director Bill Stewart will retire from the Klondyke board at the end of the year, after 39 years with the garden centre business.

Bill Stewart's career started as company accountant at Strikes for 19 years, until the family garden centre group was bought by Bob Gault’s Klondyke in the late 90’s.

Under Gault he became regional operations director, before taking up the role of HR director when Bob Hewitt joined as MD in March 2006.

Stewart’s retirement is part of a larger restructuring first announced in July 2015. 

At the end of the year Bob Hewitt relinquishes his chief executive role to become non-executive joint chairman, working 25 – 30 days a year, alongside Dorothy Gault.

David Yardley will become the chief executive.