Dianne Nott
Azelis, the pan-European specialties distributor, which has experienced a sevenfold increase in size from 2001 to 2005, is preparing for a period of further significant growth. It is expected to complete its European coverage soon through a number of further acquisitions. Management focus is also being directed to the expansion of synergies between Azelis Group companies leading to changes in the roles of the Group’s top management.
Azelis CEO Udo Wenzel has transferred certain of his Italian-based responsibilities to Francesco Bonizzoni who, with immediate effect, becomes Managing Director of Azelis Italia SpA. Mr Bonizzoni retains his role as Vice-President and Managing Director of Novaria Chemicals, an operating unit of Azelis. His additional new responsibilities will provide support to Udo Wenzel in the operational management of Azelis Italia with particular focus on managing the common service functions such as logisitics, IT and administration, optimisation of the commercial resources. Udo Wenzel remains President of the Board of Directors of Azelis Italia SpA.
In addition Azelis COO, Peter Fields, has handed over his other role of Managing Director of the Azelis UK company, Chance & Hunt Ltd to Joan Traynor, formerly Sales and Marketing Director.
Udo Wenzel explained: “We have delivered exceptional growth through remaining true to our philosophy of maintaining national focus whilst
at the same time developing the synergies which exist between Azelis Group companies. We are now entering a new phase in the development of the Group. Our strategic growth by acquisition to achieve geographic coverage of Europe is nearing completion. There are still important sector focused opportunities to be pursued to enable us to further expand in chosen sectors, for instance human and veterinary pharma. We will also be focusing enormous effort into driving growth through maximizing the value of synergies within the Group to achieve organic growth.
“Both Peter Fields and I will now concentrate fully on the requirement to truly establish Azelis as the preferred European specialties distributor.”