people
David Eastlake - Chief Executive Officer
Born and brought up in Northumberland, David has a passion for most sports, especially decathlon and rugby in his early days; however he retired when he finally decided that he couldn’t catch a certain Daley Thompson!
David entered the furniture and interior business in 1983, working as a space-planner designer and in sales. He then joined Georgeson as Managing Director in December 2000 with a remit to turn the business around and grow - he then bought the business in August 2003, has built up a fantastic team at the eastlake group and definitely has no regrets.
Golf is his sporting passion, and having taken up the game 7 years ago when he moved to Scotland, he “will have a single figure handicap by time I am 46.”
Helen Eastlake - Customer Services Director
Having spent all her working life in Customer Service for organizations such as Thorn EMI and National Power, Helen moved to Scotland with David in 2001 to join Georgeson. Helen then joined the main Board when she and David acquired the business from the Georgeson family in 2003.
Customer Service is viewed as a key aspect of the Group’s success, hence the profile it commands on the board of management - ensuring that the eastlake group’s customers are represented in the boardroom.
And Helen’s thoughts on golf - “what a waste of a good walk!”
Tim Hollis - Contracts & Design Director, eci
Tim graduated from art college and joined the Total Office Group in Leeds as an interior designer. He then spent the next 10 years working across the UK on a wide range of projects, culminating in running the Contracts & Design Department for TOG. Following a couple of years working for furniture manufacturers within the UK, he then joined Georgeson, now the eastlake group, with responsibility for all aspects of Contract & Design within eci, and is a member of the eastlake group Board of Management.
Outside work, Tim only plays golf because he “doesn’t have the time to do cricket justice”.
Huw Moseley - Managing Director, edp
Huw has been associated with workplace interiors since qualifying in design in 1983, and spent the first 12 years of his working career in Yorkshire and the North West, working for Project Furniture, Voko (UK) and the Total Office Group before establishing the design practice HMD Associates in Huddersfield in 1992.
Huw acquired an honours degree in Business Administration at the University of Huddersfield in 1998 before setting up the design house Celfi Ltd in South Wales later the same year. Having established a strong business team and growing customer base, as part of a strategic alliance, Celfi merged with the eastlake group in January 2004.
A fluent Welsh speaker and passionate about all things Welsh, Huw is sports, especially rugby mad (and he has the broken nose to prove it). He also loves Italy, its culture and its food - but he “can’t cook, won’t cook.”
Charlie Galifant - Managing Director, burdew
Charlie studied Furniture and Interior Design at Leeds College of Art before working for the University. He then moved to Strachan Furniture, designing and rationalising furniture for the domestic environment before moving on to Crown Supplies, working on major refurbishment projects and managing sub-contractors. His next role for Project Furniture, involved the management of the regional design team and all contract works.
Charlie then joined Total Office Interiors as Sales Manager for the Northern Region. He was responsible for all functions of the regional office throughout the MBO period, before becoming Owner/Director of Burdew Contract Furniture Ltd in 1991, where he steered the development and growth of high quality contract bespoke furniture from the Leeds manufacturer. This period of growth culminated in the acquisition of Burdew by the eastlake group in early 2007, with Charlie becoming Managing Director of Burdew and a Board Member of eastlake group ltd.
And Charlie’s view on life – to bring some humour to the workplace and his aim is “to become David’s ‘caddy’ before I am 65!”