New WBC MD, Simon Wright, steps up to the (packaging) plate

WBC recently welcomed Simon Wright as managing director, replacing the brand’s dynamic founders, Tim Wilkinson and Andrew Wilson, after Premier Paper Group (PPG) acquired the business in 2022.
Simon’s significant experience, spanning 27 years, was accumulated during his long-term employment with family-owned SME Universal Tyres & Autocentres. Beginning as the sales development manager in 2000, he worked his way steadily from ground level to commercial director over almost two decades, growing it into a B2B powerhouse through five strategic acquisitions.

The enterprise was sold to motor-industry giant Halfords in 2021 under Simon’s direction and a new nationwide B2B commercial business was created with a 20% market share. Aside from his additional six-year role first as vice-chairman and then chairman of the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), he also created a joint call-centre venture and acquired a fleet management business, both in 2017, adding to his already stellar repertoire.

Simon considers his new chapter at WBC an exciting evolution of his wheelhouse, citing his transferal of experience into a new industry as an integration of “the same principles applied to different products” with a strong focus on positioning and positive development.

“To stay at the forefront of packaging, we need to become more agile, which necessitates a need to change, explore new ideas and transcend the status quo. I subscribe to the principles that, in commerce, if we’re not moving forward, we’re going backwards. At WBC, the opportunities for considerable growth already exist, we just have to pull some levers to make it happen”.

With his future-proof approach, strong decision-making ability and collaborative management style, one of his key objectives is to exploit WBC’s full potential as a solutions expert in the packaging arena. Included in this strategy is an intent to scale the business to enhance PPG’s full offering, build on providing a seamless customer-based service and refine the organisation’s supply chain while factoring in more effective sustainable practices.

When asked about the company culture, Simon touched on the importance of teamwork, employee engagement and of developing individual skills across all departments.
He believes, “So many companies only evolve staff potential if it can be used in-house, but I maintain that we have a duty to encourage growth, irrespective of that. Initially, they may move on but who’s to say they won’t re-join us in the future? We can only get the best out of people if we recognise where their skills lie”.

With Simon’s ability to tap into his past successes, identify weaknesses and hone in on challenges and opportunities, this well-established packaging and display company is set to see a noteworthy expansion within the next five years.
“Ultimately, what motivates me is the success of the business because, in reality, it’s how I too am measured. It’s an incredibly exciting prospect and one that is absolutely achievable”.