Catherine Morris has been appointed as managing director at Tradelinens, the trusted global supplier of luxury, long-lasting linen to the hospitality sector.
Previously marketing and PR director at Tradelinens, Catherine will oversee the day-to-day running of the business whilst founding directors, Robert Lancaster-Gaye and Joe Molloy, will remain in the business in a strategic consultancy role.
Catherine has long been at the forefront of sustainability innovations for Tradelinens and will continue to champion the brand’s environmental and ethical credentials as she grows the businesses and its three divisions, luxury commercial linen, boutique hospitality and direct to consumer through it’s online retail division, Tielle Love Luxury.
Working tirelessly at Tradelinens for over seven years, Catherine’s previous roles were in FMCG, spending ten years at Nestlé, where she worked in category marketing for brands including Nestlé Pure Life and San Pellegrino.
One of Catherine’s stand out achievements during her time at Tradelinens has been pioneering the brand to become the first UK member of the Better Cotton Initiative. Catherine explains: “During my time at Nestle, I gained first hand experience of the growing consumer expectation on brands to protect the environment and prioritise shared values amongst them to ensure a real sense of purpose.
“I truly believe that brands have an obligation to lead from the front when it comes to sustainability, protecting and empowering suppliers, caring for the planet and enriching the communities we work with. I brought that passion to Tradelinens and spent over 18 months working with the Better Cotton Initiative to set up a membership agreement for linen brands in order for Tradelinens and other businesses in our category to be able to to join. Until that point, no other trade linen brands were part of the BCI. With Tradelinens the first, there are now at least four other members in our category. It’s an achievement that we’re really proud of.”
Catherine’s ambitions in her new role are to grow the business whilst upholding the exceptional knowledge, expertise and customer service that Robert and Joe have championed for over 30 years. She’ll also continue her mission to seek out new and innovative ways to improve sustainability within the category.
Tradelinens co-founders Robert Lancaster Gaye (left) and Joe Molloy
Catherine continued: “Robert and Joe are famed within this industry and are remaining an integral part of the business. They’ll continue to advise clients as well as work with the wider team at Tradelinens, guiding, mentoring and sharing their wisdom to ensure Tradelinens remains at the forefront of our industry for years to come. Under Robert and Joe’s expert guidance, I’ve recruited a fantastic team with outstanding knowledge in textiles and luxury hospitality and together, we’re passionate about taking this business forwards and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
“As well as seeking out ways to continue to improve our already exceptional product quality, I’ll also be looking at other viable solutions for including even more sustainable materials within our product portfolio, continuing to reduce our use of plastic whilst ensuring our goods arrive at luxury locations around the world in pristine condition.”
Always championing sustainable solutions, Tradelinens recently launched an eco pillow, crafted from recycled plastic bottles collected from across Europe and blended with Tencel, an award-winning botanical fibre.
