Page 14 - BOSS Today Issue 2

Boss Awards
interview

Outstanding Achiever

Graham Cundick tells us about winning the BOSS Federation’s
Outstanding Achievement Award

How did it feel to win the role and setting up Viking, I was the
award? Merchandising Controller for Neat Graham Cundick at a glance
It was a great pleasure – and an Ideas.
even bigger surprise! This was a Born: 1960 so doing, changing the way
recognition of my involvement And what are you doing now? Education: Degree in large numbers of
with the start-up and growth of the I’m the co-owner and director of a Management Sciences from people bought stationery
Viking Direct business in the UK, software business called VirtualStock, University of Manchester Family: Married with two
over the 16 years to 2006. I headed leading its effort to launch a new First job: Sales rep at daughters, Georgia and
the merchandising and marketing product called V-Source. It’s a bolt-on Ofrex, London Sasha
function there. application targeted at large and Greatest achievement: Interests: Sport (was a very
contract players, and I believe it could Founding and growing capable goalkeeper and is
How has it grown? have a very bright future. VirtualStock Viking into the industry’s a Chelsea fan)
Pretty well. The UK business was started only five years ago but it biggest success story – and in
worth around £375m turnover when already serves 18 countries. Its clients
I left, which is not bad for something include Staples, Office Depot, Banner,
which started with nothing. We rolled Corporate Express, IKON and Viking
out the UK model overseas, and Direct and the company is definitely
it’s now in 12 European countries. one of the leading suppliers of
The total international business was purchasing software in Europe.
worth £1.3bn in turnover at the time I’m also the non-executive
I moved on. Chairman of Advantia Business
Solutions, a company that enables
What were the early independent stationery and
days like? office products dealers to achieve
Back in 1990 and for a while after that, greater buying power with major
the challenge was to get the support wholesalers, distributors and
from manufacturers as a new entrant multinational suppliers.
into the market. It was also about
managing a multitude of functions Left to right: Graham Cundick,
during the early days. Geoffrey Betts
Starting the business from scratch
meant that we had a minimum
amount of human resources early on
– and we were also stretching what
we had, since we quickly moved to
set up in France, Germany, Benelux
and Switzerland. So it was a lot of
hard work from everyone concerned;
but that effort and commitment was
all worthwhile in the end.
What’s your career
background?
Prior to 1990, I worked at the
merchandising division of Misco
Computer Supplies, a role which my
fellow award winner David Langdown
has also occupied. Between that

14 BOSS TODAY | November/December 2009

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