Honma Golf Europe has appointed a new key account manager to handle business with leading customers in the UK, Ireland and distributor markets.
Based in Manchester, industry stalwart Andy Ward will be responsible for relationships with the premium brand’s growing number of major buying groups and leading retailers, as well as distributors across Honma’s European network.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity for me to become involved with Honma, as the brand has so much potential,” said Ward, who boasts over 20 year’s experience in sports retailing, having begun his career with JJB Sports, before moving into specialist golf retail with American Golf in 2012, where he then spent more than six years as senior buyer, responsible for the biggest hardware budget in Europe.
He added: “Honma is all about quality and is well established in other parts of the world. The signing of former world No.1 Justin Rose was a massive statement and stamp of approval. His association can only enhance the Honma profile in this market, where we need to get golfers to better understand the brand and the products. The craftsmanship and attention to detail that Honma puts into every product that they create is unparalleled andsomething that I have not seen and has been missing from the golf market. That, coupled with Honma’s exciting growth plans, encouraged me to jump at the opportunity and I’m now looking forward to helping premium retailers grow their businesses with Honma.”
Commenting on the appointment, Alejandro Sanchez, general manager of Honma Golf Europe, said: “Having an experienced golf retail specialist like Andy on board can only help to strengthen the important relationships with our leading customers and gain more market share. He will be a great asset to our team in Europe which continues to grow in support of the brand’s ambitious plans.”