Chris Hayward, managing director of NMBS, has been elected president of Euro-Mat, the leading European cooperation of independent builders' merchants.

Founded in 1989, the cooperation is based in Luxemburg and today has today a presence in 21 European countries, with a portfolio of 19 shareholders, more than 7,300 outlets and a combined turnover of 32bn Euros.

EURO-MAT acts on behalf of its members and generates exclusive European-wide partnership agreements between suppliers and builders' merchant members.

Mr Hayward said: "It was a great honour to be asked on behalf of NMBS to accept the presidency of Euro-Mat, and I will be 100% committed to supporting their key philosophy of 'Together we make things better'."