Keith Conniford Retires as Registrar of the Hair & Barber Council

After seven years of dedicated service Keith Conniford is retiring as Registrar of the Hair & Barber Council. Keith is being replaced as Registrar by Gareth Penn, with David Drew as Chairman.

Having initially signed up for two years Keith remained at the helm of The Hair & Barber Council for seven years, which included successfully guiding the Council through the unprecedented challenges of Covid.

Commenting on Keith's retirement, David Drew, Chairman elect of the Hair & Barber Council, said: “As a State Registered Hair & Barber Council Master Craftsman since 1994, and an elected Hair & Barber council committee member for the last 17 years, I would like to express my thanks to Keith for the enormous body of work that he very consistently, professionally, and diligently performed, not to mention the amount of sacrifice and sheer hard work in supporting our State Registered members and the hair and barber industry in general during the pandemic! I have had the pleasure of both getting to know Keith personally plus working with him, he will be a hard act to follow!”

Keith Conniford added: “It has been an honour and a privilege to work together with the Council, our members, and the industry this past seven years, but I believe it is the right time for the future development of the Council and me personally to now step down.

“Having navigated the Hair & Barber Council through two of the most challenging times for our members and the sector, namely Covid and the current cost of living crisis, there are new challenges that are and will face our industry in the future that will require definitive sight and vision.

“Our relationship with Westminster is the strongest that it has ever been with Ministers, BEIS and MPs actively seeking our help and guidance. I firmly believe we are closer to our aim of compulsory registration than ever before. I wish Gareth and David great success in their respective roles as Registrar and Chair, I will miss you all enormously and this great industry that I have been part of for over 50 years.”

Gareth Penn the new Registrar steps up from being the Finance Chairman and has considerable sector and industry experience as Managing Director of the Good Salon Guide since 2004. Commenting on his appointment Gareth said: “I am hugely excited and energised by the potential that the Hair & Barber Council has and I am looking forward to building upon the excellent work that Keith has done over the last seven years. Keith, ably supported by Susan Scott, has worked tirelessly to push compulsory Registration and I’d like to join David Drew in thanking Keith for his dedication and hard work.”

For further information, quotes or photographs please contact Gareth Penn on 07974352233 or [email protected]