LDC Top 50 2026
Mick Howard
Group CEO
William Hackett
Mick Howard’s career has taken him from the army to senior positions with some of the world’s biggest drinks companies.
In 2018, he took on his first CEO role at a struggling soft drinks manufacturer, returning it to profit before leading its multi-million-pound sale in 2024. He then switched industries to lead lifting & chain equipment manufacturer William Hackett. “Stepping outside my comfort zone excites me,” he says. Mick has boosted turnover by over 25 per cent, more than doubled profit, and has launched an accredited World Class Operator apprenticeship scheme. “I think of myself as a custodian. I want to leave the business in more sustainable position than when I walked in.”
I think of myself as a custodian. I want to leave the business in a far better place than when I walked in.”
Q&A
What motivates you?
It’s the challenge that drives me. I like testing myself. Moving to Johannesburg as Technical Director for SABMiller was a huge step. Every country in Africa is different and I loved immersing myself in those cultures. I was even made an honorary chief of Botswana and presented with a hand-carved throne, which still sits in my house. The call from William Hackett came completely out of the blue. I thought, “That’s not my industry.” Different customers, products and ways of working. But there were huge opportunities to scale and I wanted to see if I could add value in a completely different sector.
What’s your ESG strategy?
The first thing we did was a baseline assessment so we understood our starting point. From there, we brought in specialist expertise to drive our ESG strategy. We’ve improved our climate rating from Silver to Gold, achieved by only 5 per cent of companies globally. It’s about making better decisions every day, from travelling smarter and switching to LED lighting and electric vehicles, to shipping our products more efficiently. Our ambition is to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Why did you create Hackfest?
There was no Glastonbury this year, so we created our own festival. We had eight interactive zones, VR experiences, schools, customers, suppliers, the Bank of England, politicians and the Chamber of Commerce all under one roof. We celebrated in the evening with an eighties band called VHS and held our first employee awards. The best bit was showcasing our people, from apprentices to colleagues who’ve been here more than 45 years, including three generations of the same family. We’ve also increased our female workforce from around 15 per cent to more than a quarter.
