Tatham to head Ideal education

Ideal Hardware has said it will instill a working sense of quality and care into its employees by setting up an internal training and education department.

The distributor has recruited a former Ernst & Young accountant, Alex Tatham, to head up the customer care training programme, which it hopes to roll out to its dealer channel.

Ideal has said it wants all employees to be aware of the way their actions impact on company performance. Tatham joined Ideal four weeks ago as head of the new initiative, which has been called the Ideal Institute.

He said: 'Success is about more than just hitting your sales targets.

It's about looking after your customers, your colleagues and the company as a whole.'

He added that Ideal has ambitions to become a global distribution player.

'We want to be recognised as the best company to do business with; we have a bigger vision than being the best UK data storage company.'

Tatham achieved minor celebrity status in 1991 when he was one half of the first couple to meet and marry on Blind Date. 'It was a fantastic day and it hasn't finished yet, either,' he said.

'We were on Through The Keyhole with Loyd Grossman a few weeks ago.'