BOSS Members' Day 2025

Jeanette Caswell

Managing Director, Office Friendly

Jeanette, Managing Director at Office Friendly gained 20+ years’ experience in our industry, evolving with organisations such as Viking/OD, Spicers and Staples. Starting as a Customer Service agent at the beginning of her career, she developed and progressed to leadership roles in the disciplines of Merchandising, Marketing, Sales Operations, Category and Ecommerce. Jeanette is passionate about people development and playing her part in helping people grow and gain confidence. Today she leads a team of 17 at Office Friendly, where they service and support some of the UK’s largest independent Dealer businesses. She is currently working through the final stages of a merger with UK Dealer Group Integra, which is intended to form the new collaborative community of BLOC Group.

Julie Hawley

Finance Director, YPO

Julie Hawley joined YPO in May 2021 as Finance Director from her previous role as Managing Director of Office Friendly, a leading buying group in office products. She previously worked for Kingfield Heath Wholesale and has over 30 years' experience in the office products industry. Julie was awarded Professional of the Year in 2018 and European Professional of The Year in 2019. Julie leads the organisation's Finance, Business Change and HR functions.

Elliot Jacobs

UOE

Elliot Jacobs career in stationery goes back to his first Saturday job as a 13 year old in a stationery shop in North London. Today a retail entrepreneur and the driving force behind UOE, one of the UK’s leading independent Post Office and stationery retailers, he's known for embracing disruption as a catalyst for growth.

He was the first ever Postmaster to be elected to the position of Non-Executive Director of the Post Office and was recently appointed to chair the Postmaster Panel - ensuring fair treatment and transparency across Post Office. Elliot is committed to playing a central role in shaping the future of the UK’s postal and stationery retail landscape. From reimagining customer experience in local branches to influencing national strategy, he combines entrepreneurial instinct with a deep understanding of how to deliver meaningful transformation. His story is a compelling example of what’s possible when businesses stop fearing change - and start leading it.

Elliot has steered UOE through multiple reinventions: divesting his successful B2B office supplies division in 2019 to focus on a retail only model when most were doing the opposite and most recently leading the successful acquisition of 30 additional branches from the Post Office. This bold move will more than triple UOE’s footprint to 40 stores by October 2025 and accelerate its transformation into a modern, multi-service high street brand forecasted to serve over 9 million customers in 2026. For Elliot, change isn’t a challenge to be managed - it’s an opportunity to be seized.