Wilsonart UK, the manufacturer and distributor of high-pressure laminate surfaces, has appointed Dionne Starr as its new Sales Development Manager.

With a background in customer service and account management, Starr will lead a sales development team of six.

Before she joined Wilsonart, Starr's most recent role saw her lead a team of Account Managers for a major international packaging supplier, where she was responsible for overseeing the interaction between the brand and its clients, as well as forecasting business performance. This followed 20 years’ customer service experience in the health and wellbeing sector.

On her appointment, Starr said: “The network of retailers we work with is a true extension of our brands and one of our greatest assets, so I’m looking forward to working closely with them in order to enhance their product knowledge and capacity to offer first-rate products and services to their customers.

“With a number of new products in the pipeline, this is an exciting time for our business and the product category as a whole.”

“As a team, one of our main goals is creating a culture where retailers feel confident in approaching us for support across a variety of requirements so we can act as a true extension of their team.

“By working in this way, we hope to ensure installers and homeowners alike can really benefit from the wealth of options and extensive knowledge available.”

Saverio Mazzalupi, Marketing Director at Wilsonart, added: “Supporting our retailers has always been a key strategic focus for our business and Dionne, leading our Sales Development Team, will be instrumental to further improving the way we serve the market. We’re delighted to have her on board.”