Meet Francis Obi

Francis joined Havwoods in September 2020 to head the company’s purchasing and operational activities in Europe, North America and Australia. Francis’s role is to lead the team’s strategic direction and best practise, and to give operational guidance and support. 

When asked about working for Havwoods, Francis says: ‘I thoroughly enjoy working at Havwoods as the people and the culture here is like a family! It’s a great place to work as we share such a great company culture. Every day here for me is an enjoyable experience. We all share our vision, mission and values, and work together towards the same goal.’

‘You will often find me quoting our company mission, which is: To be at the forefront of product knowledge and excellence enabled by a holistic and inspiring customer experience. This is very meaningful to me, and myself and the team aim to work in line with this mission every day.’

Francis continues, ‘One of the things that I love about Havwoods is that the company is constantly evolving. One of the most significant things that’s happened this year is that Havwoods achieved ISO 14001, which is an internationally agreed and recognised standard for Environmental Management Systems. By implementing ISO 14001 we are demonstrating our commitment to reducing environmental impact, by mitigating risk, ensuring compliance with regulations and reinforcing good governance practices. It makes me feel extremely proud that I am part of an organisation that has this.’  

Francis says that he sees a very bright future for Havwoods. The company has thrived through a very difficult period of time despite the challenges globally. The post-Covid world tested everyone, yet the business continued evolving, and recently diversified now offering wood for all surfaces. This saw the introduction of many stunning new collections to the product portfolio. 

‘In 2024 we will continue to build on what we have learned and will remain at the forefront of excellence and with all regions closely aligned’, Francis says.