The boss of Grattan - Bradford's biggest private employer - has quit the firm after a row over the future of the mail-order giant.

High-flying Chief Executive Steve Bullas, 48, who has dramatically improved the company's fortunes in the last three years, walked out late yesterday after a boardroom dispute.

The company said the popular and charismatic business leader disagreed with fellow directors over the future strategy of the firm.

The shock decision is believed to have followed weeks of top-level meetings in which he and colleagues discussed different visions of the booming firm.

Mr Bullas, who revealed this afternoon he had been given a considerable pay-off by the firm, said: "As a principled person, I found it difficult to stay when they were going a different way to the way I wanted the business to go.

"That meant they had to find somebody who would go their way."

He said he wanted to stay in the mail-order world as he saw himself as probably Britain's most foremost authority in mail order.

The group's finance director, Peter Lomas, has taken over as caretaker chief executive until a new appointment can be made.

The company, with headquarters in Ingleby Road, is owned by German mail-order empire Otto Versand and Mr Bullas is believed to have had serious disagreements with Otto board directors.

A company spokesman today said: "Steve Bullas has resigned over differences of opinion over strategy on Grattan with Otto Versand. He could not agree with Otto Versand directors on the best way forward."

Mr Bullas joined Grattan from Great Universal in 1991 as merchandise director and became its Chief Executive in 1996. He took over from Graham Frost, who left to become managing director of Great Universal Stores.

His decision to quit comes hot on the heels of a bid by Otto to take over the Freeman homeshopping business, based in Clapham, London.

There was speculation about the future of Grattan when the decision to merge the firms was announced at the beginning of April.

Grattan has been built up by Mr Bullas in his three years as chief executive. It is now the third-largest mail order company in the UK, with sales of £500 million. Latest figures show its pre-tax profits stood at £21million.

The firm employs more than 4,500 staff and is expected to take on an additional 350 workers before the end of the year because of its joint venture with Tesco, called Tesco Direct. Mr Bullas was heavily involved in setting up the deal with Tesco and was instrumental in making sure that the headquarters of the business was based in Bradford.

Mr Lomas said: "There was a point of difference between Steve and the Otto Versand board, which is a private matter.

"Steve made a massive contribution to Grattan and led us into new areas. He was one of the team involved in obtaining the Tesco joint venture."

Sandy Needham, director of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said she was shocked. "He seemed to be driving the company forward."

John Watson, chairman of Business Link Bradford & District, added: "I know Steve and I have always had a very high opinion of his business abilities. I am surprised by the news."

He was the hands-on chief

Steve Bullas was a popular and charismatic business leader in the city. He has already been praised for the way he moved Grattan forward in his three years as chief executive.

In that time he also won the respect of the people he worked with and associated with in the district. He was a hands-on chief executive.

He carved out a career for himself, taking on one promotion after the next. Business people in the district are already speculating on where someone with his drive will go.

Mr Bullas was seen as an innovator who was behind the firm's joint venture with Tesco, called Tesco Direct, which will bring another 350 jobs to the city by the end of the year. He was also very strong on environmental issues and supported plans to increase car-sharing and alternative ways for staff to get to work.

He has always had strong links with Bradford. He started his career in the mail-order business in 1974 when he joined rival Empire Stores as a graduate trainee.

He was soon promoted to a buyer then joined mail-order firm N Brown as a buyer and later joined Littlewoods in Liverpool as a home-shopping controller. In 1980 he joined Great Universal Stores in Manchester as merchandise manager and was later promoted to merchandise director in 1991. Towards the end of that year he left to join Grattan as its merchandise director and became chief executive five years later.

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