Tile and flooring retailer Topps Tiles Plc has announced the appointment of Martin Payne as an independent non-executive director and Audit Committee Chair Designate.

Martin will join the board of directors of Topps Group on 1 October 2024 and will succeed Keith Down as Audit Committee Chair at the AGM in January 2025, at which point Keith will retire from the Board after having served his term under the UK Corporate Governance Code. 

Martin brings over 35 years of experience as an executive and non-executive in both private and public businesses. A qualified management accountant, Martin served as CFO and CEO of Genuit Group plc, the FTSE250 building materials group, retiring in May 2022. Prior to that he was CFO of Norcros plc where he gained experience of tile retailing and manufacturing in UK and South Africa.

Martin is currently a non-executive director of Stelrad Group plc, Europe’s largest radiator manufacturer, where he is Chair of the Audit Committee. He is also a non-executive director of Churchill China plc, the AIM listed international tableware manufacturer, where he is Audit Committee chair and SID. Previously, Martin also spent two years as Chair of the Construction Products Association, the trade association representing UK building materials manufacturers. 

Paul Forman, Chair of Topps Group, said: “We are delighted that Martin is joining the Board, not only does he bring significant experience as an Audit Committee Chair, but he also brings great breadth of business experience.  More specifically his time as a Director at Norcros will enable us to benefit from his understanding of the tiling sector. He also has a wealth of experience in the broader lightside building materials environment.”

Commenting on his appointment, Martin said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board of Topps Group Plc. The Topps Group is a business I have admired for many years with a strong brand in the marketplace, a clear vision and purpose, and great people delivering exceptional service. The “Mission 365″ strategy identifies many exciting growth opportunities for the Group, and I look forward to helping the Board and the broader business continue to develop and deliver on those opportunities.”