Board of Directors
Our Board
Our Board is responsible for governance and the stewardship of the Group and meets regularly throughout the year to fulfil its responsibilities. The Board is chaired by Tim Cobbold. In addition to the Non-Executive Chair and two Executive Directors, the Board also comprises seven Independent Non-Executive Directors, who provide independent challenge and review.
Our Board is diverse ethnically, culturally and in gender and this diversity of perspective and experience enables the Board to consider and act upon the needs of all our stakeholders.
At the end of 2023 the Board met the 40% female representation target set by the FTSE Women Leaders review (formerly Hampton-Alexander) and with two members of the Board coming from a minority ethnic background we also exceeded the Parker Review target of at least one individual.
Tim Cobbold, BSc, FCA, Non-Executive Director and Chair
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Committees Nomination (Chair) |
Appointed to the Board September 2024. Appointed Chair in January 2025 |
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Areas of experience Senior management, engineering, industrial, operational delivery, international business, corporate finance, M&A and strategy |
External appointments Non-Executive Director and Chair of TI Fluid Systems plc |
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Background Tim has extensive experience in leading large, complex international listed businesses having previously been the Chief Executive Officer of Chloride Group plc, De La Rue plc and most recently, UBM plc. Prior to this he held senior management positions at Smiths Group/TI Group where he worked for 18 years. Tim is a qualified chartered accountant and has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London. |
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Nimesh Patel - Group Chief Executive Officer - BSc
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Committees Risk Management
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Appointed to the Board September 2020 |
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Areas of experience International, senior management, M&A, finance and accounting, industrial, pensions, tax and treasury. |
External appointments Co-Chair of the FTSE Women Leaders’ Review (formerly the Hampton-Alexander Review); Trustee of Barts Charity |
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Background Before joining the Group in 2020, Nimesh Patel was Chief Financial Officer of De Beers. Prior to that he was Group Head of Corporate Finance at Anglo American plc, leading a team based in London and Johannesburg. Previously, Nimesh spent 14 years in investment banking at both JP Morgan and as a Managing Director at UBS. In August 2023, following a rigorous selection process, Nimesh was appointed to become the next Group Chief Executive Officer and took up the position on 16th January 2024.
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Louisa Burdett – Chief Financial Officer ICAEW
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Committees Risk Management, Audit Committee
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Appointed to the Board July 2024 |
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Areas of experience International business, senior management, finance, finance transformation, M&A, manufacturing. |
External appointments Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair of RS Group plc |
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Background Before joining the Group in 2024, Louisa Burdett was Chief Financial Officer of Croda International Plc. Prior to that Louisa led finance functions in several large companies including UK-listed Meggitt and Victrex. |
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Angela Archon - Independent Non-Executive Director - MSc, BSc Engineering
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Committees Employee Engagement, Nomination, Remuneration |
Appointed to the Board December 2020 |
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Areas of experience Engineering, operational, strategy, international business, M&A, manufacturing, senior management |
External appointments Non-Executive Director of DT Midstream Inc. CommonSpirit Health and the National Association of Corporate Directors - Texas TriCities Chapter. |
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Background Angela Archon held various senior executive positions while employed by IBM Corporation, including Vice President Transformation and Chief Operating Officer of the Watson Health Division. Angela represented IBM for eight years as Board Liaison for The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. She is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honour Society, and earned a Professional Engineer’s license. Until December 2022, she was a Non-Executive Director of Switch Inc., an independent leader in data centres and technology solutions. |
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Constance Baroudel - Independent Non-Executive Director - MSc, BA
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Committees Nomination |
Appointed to the Board August 2023 |
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Areas of experience Strategy, sustainability, operational, international business, R&D, international relations |
External appointments Sector Chief Executive, Environmental & Analysis and Chief Sustainability Officer at Halma plc |
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Background Constance is Sector Chief Executive, Environmental & Analysis and Chief Sustainability Officer at Halma plc, having previously held a range of executive positions within Halma plc, as well as with First Group plc, De La Rue and Strategic Decisions Group International. With more than 20 years’ experience, Constance has significant knowledge of working in large, global organisations. Constance holds an MSc in International Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics, an MSc in Corporate Finance & Strategy and a BA in International Relations, both from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris). Constance previously served as Non-Executive Director for both Kier Group and Synergy Health plc. |
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Peter France - Independent Non-Executive Director
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Committees Audit, Employee Engagement, Nomination |
Appointed to the Board March 2018 |
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Areas of experience International Business, operational, industrial, sales and marketing, engineering, senior management, M&A, manufacturing |
External appointments Chief Executive Officer of TT Electronics. |
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Background Peter France was Chief Executive Officer of Rotork plc from 2008 to 2017. He also gained wide experience in a number of key roles at Rotork plc from 1989 to 2008 including acting as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Rotork South East Asia based in Singapore. Peter is a Chartered Director of the Institute of Directors. |
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Richard Gillingwater - Independent Non-Executive Director & Senior Independent Director - MBA, BA Law, Solicitor
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Committees Audit, Nomination, Remuneration |
Appointed to the Board March 2021. Appointed Senior Independent Director in August 2021. |
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Areas of experience International business, investment and finance |
External appointments Senior Independent Director of Whitbread plc and Governor at The Wellcome Trust. |
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Background Until December 2022, Richard Gillingwater was Chair of Janus Henderson Group plc. He also has held a range of executive positions within global investment banks including Kleinwort Benson, Credit Suisse and Barclays de Zoete Wedd. Richard holds an MBA from the International Institute for Management Development, a BA Law from Oxford University and is a qualified solicitor. |
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Caroline Johnstone - Independent Non-Executive Director - BA, CA
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Committees Audit, Employee Engagement (Chair), Nomination |
Appointed to the Board March 2019 |
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Areas of experience Finance, people, international business, M&A |
External appointments Chair of Synthomer plc and Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair of Shepherd Group Ltd, a private company which owns Portakabin Limited. She also sits on the Governing Board of Manchester University. |
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Background Caroline Johnstone has nearly 40 years’ experience of working with large global organisations on turnaround, culture change, delivering value from mergers and acquisitions and cost optimisation programmes. She sat on the board of the Assurance practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as people partner. Caroline is a chartered accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. |
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Jane Kingston - Independent Non-Executive Director - BA
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Committees Remuneration Committee (Chair) Employee Engagement, Nomination |
Appointed to the Board September 2016 |
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Areas of experience Engineering, international business, senior management, operational, people, remuneration |
External appointments
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Background From 2006 until her retirement in December 2015, Jane Kingston served as Group Human Resources Director for Compass Group PLC. Prior to this, she served as Group Human Resources Director for BPB plc. Jane has worked in a variety of sectors, including roles with Blue Circle Industries plc, Enodis plc and Coats Viyella plc and has significant international experience. |
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Kevin Thompson - Independent Non-Executive Director - Bsc, FCA
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Committees Audit (Chair), Nomination, Remuneration |
Appointed to the Board May 2019 |
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Areas of experience Engineering, international business, senior management, M&A, strategy, finance, pensions, tax and treasury |
External appointments A Trustee of the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. |
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Background Kevin Thompson was Group Finance Director of Halma plc from 1998 to 2018, having joined Halma as Group Financial Controller in 1987. Kevin qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. |
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