Ex-Poundland boss Austin Cooke joins Howdens

Former Poundland managing director Austin Cooke has joined kitchens giant Howdens as its new managing director for trade.
The role marks a step change for Cooke, who has spent the last seven years Poundland holding several executive roles before he stepped down at the end of last month.
Prior to that, he held several director positions during his more than eight year stint at KFC and four years at Phones4U.
Cooke, who shared the news on Linkedin, said: “The fantastic culture at Howdens is