The visitor attraction is looking to double visitor numbers and boost revenue growth

Aerospace Bristol has appointed its first chief operating officer as it pursues an ambitious 10-year strategy to double visitor numbers and grow its commercial operations. Lloyd Hughes will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Filton site, which is home to Concorde.

He will lead the museum’s visitor experience, finance, commercial and operations functions, and will help deliver and evolve the commercial strategy, including driving revenue growth across events and venue hire, ticket sales, retail and hospitality.

Mr Hughes, who was previously a director at vet charity PDSA and has led commercial activities at organisations such as English Heritage, will also deputise for the chief executive and represent Aerospace Bristol at industry and networking events.

He said: “Aerospace Bristol is an extraordinary place – one that sits at the heart of a globally significant industry and tells stories about the wonders of flight to inspire people of all ages.

“I’m hugely excited to be joining at such a pivotal moment – there is enormous potential to grow both the commercial reach and resilience of the museum, and I’m looking forward to working with the brilliant team here to unlock it.”

Aerospace Bristol said the newly created position reflected its “determination to build a sustainable, high-performing organisation” and grow visitor numbers.

Sally Cordwell, chief executive of Aerospace Bristol, said: “This is a landmark appointment for Aerospace Bristol. Lloyd brings exactly the blend of commercial sharpness and charity sector understanding that we need as we look to deliver on our 10-year growth strategy.

“Creating this COO role signals our intent – we are serious about being an organisation that is operationally excellent, commercially strong and well positioned to serve our visitors, our community and the story of flight for decades to come. We’re delighted to welcome Lloyd into our team.”

Aerospace Bristol is based in Patchway on Bristol’s northern edge and is run by the Bristol Aero Collection Trust. The museum exhibits the Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the final Concorde plane to be built and the last to fly.

Concorde’s airframe and engines were largely developed in Bristol, where its UK assembly line was located, while all UK Concordes made their maiden flight from the former Filton airfield site near the museum.

Baroness Karren Brady has stepped down as vice-chair of West Ham United, drawing the curtain on one of British football’s most enduring executive careers and severing a commercial partnership with joint-chair David Sullivan that has spanned close to four decades.

The 57-year-old peer, broadcaster and businesswoman had served on the Hammers’ board for 16 years. Her exit arrives at a delicate juncture for the Premier League club, where supporter discontent with the boardroom has hardened into a regular feature of matchdays. Chants directed at the ownership rang out again on Sunday evening during the side’s draw at Crystal Palace, the latest in a string of organised protests that have overshadowed a season spent flirting with the relegation places.

For those who have followed Brady’s career since the early 1990s, the decision marks the end of an era. It was Brady, then just 23, who convinced Sullivan to acquire Birmingham City in 1993, taking the managing director’s chair herself and becoming one of the youngest executives to run a professional football club anywhere in Europe. That appointment laid the foundations for a business relationship that has outlasted most in British sport.

In a statement released by the club, Brady said: “It has been a privilege to work alongside the board, management, players, staff and supporters at West Ham United. Together we have achieved remarkable milestones, but the highlight for me will always be lifting the Uefa Europa Conference League trophy, a moment that will stay with me forever. I am deeply grateful for the relationships, challenges and opportunities that have shaped my time at the club.”

She added: “While this chapter closes, my passion for football and commitment to supporting the next generation of leaders remains undiminished. I wish West Ham United every success for the future and look forward to following their continued achievements with pride.”

Brady has drawn heavy criticism from the stands alongside Sullivan this season, with the pair cast by sections of the fanbase as the architects of a prolonged period of under-investment on the pitch. The Hammers currently sit a single place and two points clear of the drop, steadied by the recent appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach.

A long-serving columnist for The Sun and aide to Lord Sugar on the BBC’s The Apprentice, Brady is understood to be redirecting her attention toward her broader portfolio of business interests and her duties in the House of Lords, while retaining her place in the boardroom of the hit entertainment format.

Her tenure at West Ham will be remembered as much for corporate manoeuvring as for sporting achievement. She was widely regarded as the driving force behind the club’s contentious relocation from Upton Park to the London Stadium in the wake of the 2012 Olympics, a deal that has divided opinion but radically rewired the Hammers’ commercial footprint.

Sullivan paid tribute to his long-time lieutenant, saying: “Karren has been an exceptional leader and a key figure in the club’s development over the years. We wish her every success in her future endeavours and thank her for her outstanding contribution over the past 16 years.”

Joint-chair Daniel Kretinsky, who joined the ownership group in 2021, was similarly effusive. “I want to thank Karren most sincerely for our collaboration since 2021, and for all the work she has done in the past for the club,” he said. “Her contribution to West Ham United’s growth, such as the long-term contract for the London Stadium, shareholders transition and the British record transfer of Declan Rice, has been absolutely essential and not always fully appreciated. Karren is also very highly appreciated in the Premier League leadership community and was an excellent representative of our club there. I wish her the best of luck in all future activities.”

Brady’s departure leaves a sizeable gap at the top of the club, both in terms of institutional memory and Premier League influence. For Sullivan and Kretinsky, the challenge now is twofold: to steady a restive fanbase and to recruit a successor capable of matching her standing in the game’s corridors of power. West Ham United has been contacted for further comment.

Jamie Young

Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.

When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.

The historic Somerset-based footwear giant has launched ‘Brands now at Clarks’ on its website

Somerset shoemaker Clarks has started selling rival brands for the first time in its history through an online marketplace. The historic company, which has been a presence on the UK high street since 1825, has launched ‘Brands now at Clarks’ on its website.

More than 100 brands, such as major global labels including Adidas and Nike, are now available to buy through the site, as well as other lifestyle products such as clothing and accessories.

The venture marks a major shift for 200-year-old Clarks as it looks to diversify its offering beyond shoes in an increasingly tough retail environment.

Joe Ulloa, vice-president UK & EMEA at Clarks, said: “From the outset, it was essential that every brand partner reflected the values that have defined Clarks for over 200 years – premium quality, comfort and value.

“Brands now at Clarks represent an exciting new chapter for us. It allows us to offer a broader, shopping experience, while staying true to the heritage and trust we’ve built.”

‘Brands now at Clarks’ brings together a portfolio of big names including high-end brands such as Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour and Marc Jacobs. A number of other labels are lined up to join the website in the coming weeks, too, including Armani Exchange, Emporio Armani, Gant, Lacoste, Moose Knuckles, Napapijri, Rains, Timberland and Woolrich.

Clarks was founded by brothers Cyrus and James Clark who opened a tannery making leather goods in 1825. Today the company is a global brand, selling more than 40 million pairs of shoes a year and has more than 1,100 stores.

But the business has faced challenges in recent years amid changing shopping habits and a decline in footfall in physical stores as consumers look to buy more products online. Last year, Clarks was forced to axe more than 1,200 jobs as sales plummeted by nearly £100m.

In September, the company opened a museum in Street, in Somerset, showcasing 200 years of shoemaking. It features hundreds of never-before-seen objects from sheepskin slippers to desert boots, school shoes to Britpop stagewear.