Bibendum directors leave as business “streamlined”

Michael Saunders, managing director of Bibendum, has called the departure of three directors, “streamlining” as the company sought to cut costs.

Trading director Richard Cochrane, operations director Bob Smylie and director of supply Kirstie Papworth were all let go last week.

Speaking to the drinks business Saunders said he had had to take the decision to “streamline the team” in order to “offer more value to our customers,” and is not a sign of wider trouble or crisis at the distributor.

He said that the year “hasn’t been everything one hoped for, and that is the case through the industry at large.

“Running a business you have to keep an eye on cost. The economy’s not great, the weather hasn’t been great and taxes are going up so I believe you have to be fleet of foot.”

The trio’s duties at Bibendum will now be spread around the remaining directors, who he hailed as a “very experienced group of people with many miles under their belt.”