Meet The NiX Leadership Team
Based at our Queens Park studio, our experienced, customer-centric team includes some of the brightest minds from across the home furnishing retail sector.
Together, Nicola & Andy own over 75% of the business, with the remaining shares being owned by a diverse and supportive group of founding investors that include clients, family & friends
-
Andy Harding Chief Executive & Co-Founder
An accomplished board-level advisor, Andy is a retail and digital leader with over 25 years of experience building and growing e-commerce market share.
During his time at House of Fraser, he won the 2015 Retail Leader of the Year Award and led a team that was awarded numerous other retail and e-commerce awards. Obsessively customer-centric, Andy has a passion for building world-class customer experiences.
He has worked for management consulting firm McKinsey and held leadership roles at Alamy, Ryman and Carphone Warehouse.
In 2022 he launched lifestyle brand NiX in partnership with his wife, Nicola Harding.
-
Nicola Harding Creative Director & Co-Founder
Nicola Harding is the award-winning designer behind industry-leading interior design studio Nicola Harding & Co. Nicola has transformed restaurants, private members clubs and hotels, as well as the homes of leading figures from the worlds of film, music, art, politics and even royalty.
Recognised for her unique brand of intelligent, sensitive design, Nicola creates liveable, soulful spaces that people quickly feel at home in; that feel timeless yet perfectly in tune with the zeitgeist.
Winner of the Pineapple Award for Hotel Design in 2021, Nicola is frequently quoted in the media and is recognised as one of the UK’s leading interior designers.
-
Phil Parkinson Finance Director
Phil is the Group Finance Director for NiX by Nicola Harding and for Nicola Harding & Co after joining the business in July 2023.
Phil brings over 20 years of senior finance experience gained from diverse industries that include life insurance, pet product wholesale, high service electronics distribution, property management and roles in the City.
While drawing on a deep knowledge of finance is fundamental to all of his roles, Phil also has an enduring passion for art, design and architecture; particularly inspired by the work of William Morris, Bjarke Ingels, and of course Nicola Harding!
-
Kirsty Whyte Brand & Design Director
Kirsty is the Brand & Design Director for NiX by Nicola Harding and joined the business leadership team in January 2023.
With a rich background, Kirsty's achievements include spearheading product innovation, transforming brands, managing design studios and co-founding Freedom to Exist in 2014. Her responsibilities at NiX by Nicola Harding include product development, design, brand & marketing, and ecommerce.
Previously she has worked at or with brands such as Habitat, Photobox-Albelli group, Soho Home, Cowshed, Heal’s, made.com, Normann Copenhagen, & Modus.
-
Neil Barley Operations Director
Boasting over 30 years of experience within the retail and e-commerce sectors, Neil is a customer-focused commercial board director with leadership skills spanning strategic planning, merchandising, product, operations, supply chain and customer service.
Neil held the position of Chief Operating Officer at furniture brand Loaf for 5 years and Director of Merchandising at Boden for 17 years.
He has also served in senior roles at the Arcadia Group and La Senza.
-
Beth Horn Non-Executive Director
Beth is a retail & e-commerce thought leader, a proven strategist, and a sought-after expert speaker on technology and digital media. She has spent over two decades in retail, from the early days of Macys.com to over 12 years with Meta, where as Director & Head of Industry for Retail & Ecommerce, she helped create and grow the home vertical on Facebook and Instagram in the US and UK.
She was named one of the 10 Most Influential leaders in RetailTech and was one of the Top 25 UK Retail Industry Influencers for 2023.
-
Suzi Avens Non-Executive Director
Suzi brings over 25 years of experience growing premium brands in the home and fashion sectors through continuous change and transformation. A strategic thinker and leader, she is as passionate about product as she is about customer needs, brand expression and sustainability.
Suzi has gained diverse, global experience – from the US to Europe and Japan – in senior leadership roles with brands including Boden, where she served as Womenswear Director for 15 years, Cath Kidston and M&S, where she currently heads up its recently acquired British heritage brand, Jaeger.
