Office junior has risen to be CEO
SEVEN-YEAR JOURNEY TO THE TOP
A YOUNG executive who joined a global exporter of anti-bacterial products on a short-term contract seven years ago has just been named CEO of one of its divisions.
Jigna Varu, right, has been appointed chief executive of HomeFresh, a spin-off of Leicester-based Micro-Fresh.
Micro-Fresh was founded in 2006 by Byron Dixon after he developed a way of preventing mould growing on products such as sofas and shoes when they were in transit from the far corners of the world.
He realised his non-toxic, antibacterial formula could also be used to stop smells and germs in other products ranging from bedding, uniforms to car seats.
Clients along the way have included Next and Dunelm, and he recently signed a deal to put MicroFresh in pillows on first class and business class Emirates flights.
Micro-Fresh recently brought manufacturing in-house to its base in Thurmaston, just outside Leicester
Home-Fresh uses a version of the antibacterial formula to stop the growth of mould inside entire buildings, from homes and schools to offices and student accommodation.
Mr Dixon, who remains CEO of the parent business, said it was clear when Ms Varu joined that she had the potential to help its growth plans.
Ms Varu said: “I was actually appointed CEO of Home-Fresh on my seven-year anniversary, which was a nice surprise.
“I didn’t even have a title when I started. It was a really junior position and my contract was only until Christmas. I got chucked in at the deep end. One of the first projects I did in my first week was to check the efficacy of Micro-Fresh in plaster, so I worked on the new formulation for Home-Fresh, did the whole business model, and basically helped conceive it from day one.
“It’s a really exciting feeling to be made CEO and gives me a great honour.”
Although Micro-Fresh is marketed as effective against mould and bacteria, rather than viruses, the increased awareness in hygiene brought about by Covid-19 has helped raise its profile.
Ms Varu said: “There’s a lot of research to suggest indoor air is more harmful than outdoor air, and with the time we are spending indoors now we really need to start thinking about what is around us and what we can do to mitigate that risk – and that’s how Home-Fresh was conceived.
“We have a new formulation that goes into plaster, and we have made it more applicable for homes.
“It prevents the growth of mould, it prevents the growth of bacteria, and stops odours and allergens in general.
“We steer away from any nasty ingredients – there are no toxic chemicals, no solvents or substances that might cause concern.
“Home-Fresh has only just launched and our first contract has come through with a company building a 70-bedroom student accommodation in Birmingham. It will be used in all the walls, the plaster, the paint, all the carpets, curtains and home furnishings such as sofas.”