Meet the Team | Catherine Morris | Managing Director
Catherine Morris is managing director of luxury linen company, Tradelinens. The UK’s first trade linen member of the Better Cotton Initiative. A natural strategist plugged into the zeitgeist of everything that is now and next, Catherine believes it’s talent and teamwork that makes the dream work. “I get a real buzz seeing staff bounce ideas off one another. It’s a great culture here with a ‘one team’ approach.”
How did you break into the linen industry?
I joined Tradelinens having worked in marketing at Nestle, where I helped launch brands and work on some of the biggest household names. I’ve always been drawn to deliver authentic, memorable brand experiences so coming to Tradelinens, and having the chance to work with top hotel brands and learn from Robert Lancaster-Gaye, a doyen of the linen world, was a dream come true.
Tell us about a typical day
My day-to-day primary role is to oversee every aspect of the business, from being up to speed on container shipments to analysing sales data on the website. Working alongside heads of departments we’ll meet to review challenges, discuss future projects and most importantly, share good news. Being involved in all facets of the business helps me ensure the business stays true to its values and vision and responds to opportunities in an agile way.
What makes a hotel, B&B or luxury retreat special?
We work with some of the most illustrious and iconic hotel brands around the world, but whether it’s The Dorchester, The Berkeley, the Firmdale or Pig Hotels, The Connaught or Claridge’s, they all share a common commitment to excellence. It's great to have the inhouse skills, knowledge and contacts to help them achieve great customer experiences in the bed, bath and table linen they use.
What are your hopes for Tradelinens?
My vision for the future for Tradelinens is to continue to grow the company’s two newest teams, B2C and Boutique, to their full potential and to champion the unrivalled pedigree we have as experts in luxury hospitality textiles, both in the UK and around the world.
What helps you sleep at night?
Knowing we’re making a tangible and positive difference. My biggest achievement and something I am extremely proud of is having negotiated with the Better Cotton Initiative for Tradelinens to become the first trade linen member. It took over 18 months to negotiate and while our sector is small compared to the fashion industry, collectively we’re helping to make a significant contribution to global cotton sustainability.
What gets you up in the morning?
I truly believe in the benefits of a good night’s sleep. By launching Tielle B2C and Boutique and making our linen accessible to everyone, we’ve given everyone the chance to enjoy 5* luxury sleep. That definitely helps me wake with a smile!
If you were cast away on a desert island, what would you take?
My guilty pleasure has to be watching Selling Sunset - I'm obsessed with Christine Quinn. So right now it'd have to be a laptop and Netflix, simply for the escapism. Of course, I’d also take some crisp white linen!