Leading UK loss prevention concern The ORIS Group is building on its product portfolio and adding to its personnel as part of an evolutionary programme designed to promote the company to the broader retail community and wider markets.
Founded a decade ago by Andrew Wood as Oxford Retail Information Systems (ORIS), the company currently boasts a broad range of blue chip retail customers both in the UK and across EU markets. and has developed its offering in line with their needs.
The ‘new look’ ORIS Group will now build upon this success through a series of management and product additions, including the promotion of Kerinda Ibbotson from commercial director to the role of managing director.
This particular move will free up Andrew Wood to bring new technologies to market under his new remit of business intelligence director.
ORIS Learning and Development
In addition, the company is to introduce a new division – ORIS Learning and Development – which will deliver a range of cultural, behavioural and leadership programmes.
This division will be headed by Ashley Ward who has more than 16 years’ experience in the field, gained from working with some of the UK’s leading retailers and financial service organisations.
ORIS is also growing its Professional Services division under the stewardship of Anne Davies, who has been promoted to the role of professional services director.
Davies will continue to develop a broad range of ‘off-the-shelf’ and bespoke consultancy solutions, starting with the introduction of a business risk and continuity offering.
The company is also in the process of recruiting a new sales director to maintain business growth.
To maintain the profile of The ORIS Group itself, Louise Henham (who has more than 12 years’ experience of working with global retail and supply chain organisations) has joined the company as head of marketing and communications.
Henham is to help build still further the ORIS brand through client development and the expansion of the retail loss prevention forums that ORIS has facilitated over the last five years.
Evolution rather than revolution
Speaking about these changes, Andrew Wood said: “It’s about evolution rather than revolution. It’s gathering together the best of what has been developed over the last ten years and taking it to the next stage, both in the retail space and other markets.”
Wood went on to state: “To achieve this, I want to be able to concentrate upon the continued development of management information systems. By playing to our new enlarged team’s strengths and expertise, this will allow us to reach out to a broader audience.”
New md Kerinda Ibbotson commented: “I have been part of ORIS for a number of years, and a key player in the growth of the business. My role is to now consolidate that growth and, with our newly recruited talent, reach out with an innovative package of products and services to the retail community and beyond.”
Ibbotson continued: “Our USP has always been about our background: we are a retail-centric solutions provider led by ex-operational and loss prevention professionals. This allows us to really connect with our customer base. It’s a winning formula that we intend to build upon.”
ORIS Group chairman Lawrence King explained: “This is a very important time for The ORIS Group as we continue to operate in a challenging market landscape, but the business has exciting ambitions for a future of sustained growth, the focus of which will be the continued innovation that brought it to the attention of the market a decade ago.”
In conclusion, King said: “The business has thrived because it has a distinct ‘can-do’ personality which our customers value. That will remain fundamental to our way of doing business as we move forward.”
For further information access The ORIS Group’s website (a dedicated link is provided on the right hand panel of this page)