Departing Leicester-based Opus Trust Marketing in March last year after five years as chief executive, Brough has spent the past year as an industry consultant through his own company, Brough Consulting, and as a non-executive director for the Mail Users Association.

His first official day at Birmingham-based Bakergoodchild was Wednesday 21 August.

With his appointment, the growing direct mailing outfit has a managing director for the first time since the departure of Lorraine Burnell in December 2017. Owner Bruce Thomson subsequently took on managerial duties as chief executive, backed up by a team of directors.

Brough said: “I have had a lot of conversations in the last year with various types of companies, large and small. Bakergoodchild appeals to me because it is a very well-run, secure organisation with all the accreditations and investment to move forward.

“Our plan is now to grow the business over the next five years, and we will be looking at how to go about doing that and lay down a strategy as we assess where the land lies.

“The message to clients is essentially that we will continue doing what we are good at, and doing it very well, but they should watch this space as we explore how we can help them in other ways with new products and services.”

Bakergoodchild has already begun its focus on investment and expansion of services, having introduced partially addressed mail earlier in the summer and taking on the UK’s first Eagle 30 inkjet system from MCS in March to boost the speed and quality of its mail fulfilment.

As Brough settles into his role, Thomson is set to transition into a role as chair. No other structural changes are currently planned for the company.

Currently clocking sales of £9m, 61-staff Bakergoodchild is eyeing sales of £10m by the end of the year. It runs a variety of print production and mailing equipment, including a Xerox Iridesse and three high-speed Kern mail insertion systems.