Former Morrisons and B&Q executive receives University honour
A former Morrisons executive and retail property director has been recognised for his commitment to the University of Bradford with an honorary award.
Terry Hartwell is an experienced corporate real estate professional who has operated at board level in FTSE 100 companies for 25 years.
He has been made a Doctor of the University of Bradford ‘in recognition of his significant commitment and the impact he has made at the University.’
Terry, who received his honour on 2 December, said: “I’m surprised, honoured and very humbled to receive this award, given the current and past recipients.
“We all hope we can make a difference, an impact, in our lives but it’s wonderful to have this recognised by others.”
Terry Hartwell has been made a Doctor of the University of Bradford. Images credit: University of Bradford
Who is Terry Hartwell?
In the early stage of his career, Terry led the growth of Kingfisher’s B&Q division, opening DIY retail stores across the country. He went on to become the Group Property Director for Kingfisher, expanding the property portfolio into nine countries in Europe and Asia, with 1,100 stores, for brands including Screwfix and TradePoint, and a sales turnover of £11 billion.
In 2009, Terry moved to Bradford-based supermarket chain, Morrisons, as its Group Property Director.
During his six-year spell at Morrisons, Terry spearheaded the supermarket chain’s development of sustainable stores, overseeing the installation of a ‘smart’ building platform for estate-wide energy management and grew Morrisons’ reach with more than 100 new stores nationwide.
Terry currently works in the social housing sector, developing homes rather than shops, having worked at London-based Catalyst Housing and now Peabody Housing Association in the capital, where he says he loves recycling unloved and derelict sites into new housing communities to be proud of.
He graduated from Bristol Polytechnic with a BSc (distinction) in Valuation and Estate Management and subsequently became a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
University links
Keen to give back to the business community, Terry became a member of the University of Bradford’s Council in 2015, serving on the Investment and Remuneration Committees and chairing the Finance Committee.
‘Keep on learning every day’
Terry had this advice for his fellow graduates: “I’ve always believed one of the best maxims in business, and in life, is to say what you’re going to do and do what you say – that way you will earn people’s trust and respect most quickly.
“They [graduates] have the opportunity to keep on learning every day. They should embrace this wholeheartedly.”