United Merchants today announced that it has appointed Grafton Group chief operating officer and executive director Leo Martin, as a non-executive member of its board.
The new appointment, effective as of November 1, follows the recent resignation of Grafton Group's John O'Carroll-Bailey, who has had to stand down due to illness after almost 10 years of service to the company.

Mr Martin was appointed to the Grafton board in January 2005 following the acquisition of Heiton Group plc and, in September 2006, he was appointed chief operating officer with responsibility for the merchanting segment.

He has advised the board of his intention to retire at the end of 2011. He was chief executive of Heiton Group plc, having joined the firm as finance director in 1986. Mr Martin is a director of Buy4Now, a member of the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board, and a Trustee of the Dublin City University Educational Trust (DCUET)

United Merchants md Howard Grant said: "We are very sad that John has had to stand down after almost 10 years on the Unimer Board. He has made an extremely valuable contribution to the company over the years and he will be missed by both directors and staff at Unimer. We wish him a speedy recovery from his current illnesses."

He continued: "We are delighted that Leo will join the Unimer Board. With his vast experience of the construction products and merchant industry, we are sure that he will contribute to the future of Unimer."

Mr Martin said: "It is an honour to join the Unimer Board and with a long merchanting career behind me, I will enjoy being able to contribute to the future path of the organisation. I am joining a formidable and respected group of individuals who serve on the board, and am looking forward to working with them to benefit the industry as a whole."