 Sir Bernard's larger-than-life personality and idiosyncratic style of management meant that he fell out of favour with the City.The first of a new group of CEO's was employed, in Dr Jim Maxim, who rationalised the production and distribution system – that until then, replaced a legacy system that would route, for example, a T-shirt manufactured in Hong Kong to a warehouse in Newtown, Wales, before sending it to a retail store in Japan.In 1992, Dr Maxmin led Laura Ashley to its first gross profits since 1989, and in fiscal 1993, gross profits were expected to reach 12 million pounds.