The Furniture Awards 2025

Having developed the awards alongside JFS for its 2015 relaunch under new ownership, Paul has co-ordinated the programme since, promoting it heavily through the event’s Principal Media partner, Furniture News magazine.

Paul joined the magazine – and the industry – in 2006, and soon went on to edit the UK domestic furniture industry’s flagship title. He is a well-known and respected figure in the trade, and works hard to deliver engaging content for the magazine’s readers, and tangible results for its advertisers.

Paul also works closely with the International Alliance of Furnishing Publications (IAFP) and The Furniture Makers’ Company to help co-ordinate marketing and communications across the wider industry.

A judging mainstay since the programme’s inception, Malcolm’s career has revolved around retail, and chiefly the home furnishing market, for the last 50 years.

He was the Buying Director and Director of Product for Furniture Village for many years, and prior to that, spent over 20 years with the Maple, Waring & Gillow group, in various roles from sales consultant to store management, making the move into buying in 1987 while managing the flagship international store on Tottenham Court Road, before becoming group Buying Director.

Malcolm now runs his own consultancy business – a progressive company, working with industry-leading home furnishing brands and high-quality suppliers in the UK, Europe, US and Asia on product design, development, and concept realisation.

Having studied Surface Design at university, Becca worked as a textile designer in Vienna before moving back to the UK to start her career in retail.

She has since worked in various buying roles for Dreams, Furniture Village and AIS (Associated Independent Stores), before moving to 100% Comfort, an innovative new business that aims to deliver omnichannel sleep solutions, in January 2024.

Darryl has been in and around the furniture business for 38 years, and now operates two regional furniture and furnishing stores in Norfolk. 

He began at 17 on the furniture floor at Oldrids of Boston, before progressing into merchandise and store management, being appointed to the board position of Merchandise Director at the age of 29.

In 2013 Darryl was recruited by W J Aldiss as Commercial Director, to bring extra strength to the management team in homewares, and develop an online division. In 2016 he was appointed MD, immediately creating a new executive team which saw sales and profit increases, enabling further investment in IT, ecommerce platforms, and premises redevelopments.

Darryl’s experiences have been forged almost exclusively in independent retail, further enhanced by involvement in local chambers of commerce, business improvement groups, Chairman of Associated Independent Stores (AIS) and as a Group Director at the (BSSA) BIRA Oxford Summer School for a number of years.

Richard has over 20 years’ experience in the UK furniture industry, holding board positions at Steinhoff UK, Hypnos and Harrison Spinks.

He holds an MSc with distinction in Sustainability, and a Level 7 apprenticeship as a sustainability business specialist. He is a fellow of several sustainability organisations, and guest lectures in leading sustainable business on Cranfield University’s executive MBA.

Richard is passionate about helping the UK furniture industry become more sustainable, and is a specialist in helping businesses build financial value or find lost financial value through the various opportunities that sustainability represents. His consultancy, Hawksfield, offers transparent sustainability outsourcing services for small- to medium-sized enterprises.

The Leekes home department store business is part of Leekes Retail and Leisure Group, and the retail operation was established over 125 years ago by Emma’s great grandfather. During her time with the business, Emma has overseen its expansion into the West Midlands through the acquisition of the Coles of Bilston group, and of Park Furnishers into Bristol. In November 2024, Leekes opened its newest store, in Cheltenham, taking its portfolio to seven. The group employs over 650 people, and boasts a total turnover of close to £90m. 

Emma sits on national buying groups including Minerva, Fortis and CIH, as well as being a member of CBI Wales. In recent times, Emma has contributed as a panelist to a Government initiative looking at future strategy for the retail industry.