Hawkes quits over GM name change
The former chairman of Gardner Merchant has resigned from the board in protest at the decision to change the company's name to Sodexho.
In a letter to 130 of the company's senior managers, Garry Hawkes announced his immediate resignation as a director from the board of Sodexho. He resigned as chairman in December.
The letter draws attention to a document, signed at the time of the Sodexho takeover five years ago, which Hawkes claims agreed the continuity of the Gardner Merchant name, logo and separate board structure.
Although Hawkes concedes that the name change is "legitimate", he argues that the original agreement has been "eroded" and that he cannot support last week's agreement by Gardner Merchant executives to ditch the name.
The letter, received by executives last week when chief executive David Ford was in France attending the company's annual general meeting, said that during Hawkes's time as chief executive the letter of the agreement was honoured. "During the last two years, with different players and different circumstances, many things have changed and the original agreement has been eroded," the letter said.
One source close to the company described Hawkes's letter as "pure devilment".
"He is disgusted with the UK team," the source said.
But Hawkes denied that he wanted to stir up trouble within the UK camp at Sodexho.
"It is not my intention to make life difficult in Gardner Merchant, but a lot of people need an explanation for my departure. I accept the legitimacy of the name change but I don't want to be associated with the decision," he said.
Chief executive David Ford said that he was "disappointed but not surprised" at the letter but that he failed to understand Hawkes's reaction.
"We worked as a team on it together," Ford said.
He added: "Garry has always had strong views. After 37 years he feels that Gardner Merchant is part of him and it is now the right time to make a complete break."
by Christina Golding
Source: Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine, 2 - 8 March 2000
