YPO appoints executive director to drive new strategy
YPO, one of the UK’s largest public sector buying organisations, has appointed Richard Taylor as Executive Director (ED) for Commercial.
Richard joins the YPO board, bringing experience in marketing and e-commerce from major blue-chip companies, including Microsoft and American Golf.
As ED for Commercial at YPO, Richard has responsibility for sales, marketing, catalogue production and customer engagement.
Richard joined YPO on an interim basis, and his appointment to the permanent role has now been confirmed to begin in 2026. Richard will replace current YPO ED Jo Marshall from March, following her career break.
Already during his time at YPO, Richard has delivered significant changes, helping the organisation compete and navigate in tough public sector market conditions.
Simon Hill, YPO Managing Director, said: “Looking ahead, our goal is to significantly build on the positive impacts we create at YPO. Richard will play a vital role in helping us to deliver this challenge, bringing a wealth of experience in marketing and e-commerce. With the confirmation of his appointment, he will now be able to continue the progress already made, working across all teams to bring YPO’s fantastic story to an even wider audience.”
“Richard will be working closely with our current ED between now and the end of March to ensure that Jo’s strong legacy with YPO is also embedded into our future plans.”
Richard Taylor, newly appointed YPO Executive Director for Commercial, added: “I’m delighted that my role is now permanent and I look forward to helping YPO deliver its new strategy. With a robust background in sales and digital marketing, my career has been marked by spearheading transformative solutions for renowned retail clients.”
“Before joining YPO, I worked for Microsoft and my role as a Business Applications Sales Specialist involved collaborating with industry giants like Marks & Spencer, contributing to their visionary business transformation initiatives. This experience puts me in good stead, moving forward."
The appointment of Richard Taylor comes as YPO enters a new phase in its 50-year history. Working with its 13 member local authorities, the organisation has returned £14 million to support frontline services during 2021-25.
This equates to funding the equivalent of free school meals for more than 5 million children; nearly 500 police officers; around 600 teaching assistants and more than 1,000 accessible social housing units.
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