The Board consists of a Non-Executive Chairman, three other Non-Executive Directors and three Executive Directors.
There is clear division of responsibility between the Chairman who leads the Board and the Chief Executive who is responsible for the business operation. All the Non-Executive Directors are considered to be independent of management and bring objective judgment to Board strategy and decisions.
Executive Directors
Chief Executive
53
Appointed as Chief Executive on 1 April 2004 after joining as Group Finance Director in February 2001. Prior to SSL he was an Executive Director of Celltech Group plc, Finance Director of Medeva plc and a partner at KPMG. Garry is a non-Executive director of Stagecoach Group plc and previously held similar positions at Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and Protherics plc.
Group Finance Director
50
Appointed as Group Finance Director in June 2004. He was previously Finance Director of Porvair plc and a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Brixton plc.
Managing Director - Europe and Americas
51
Appointed as Executive Director in April 2004, Ian became Group Commercial Director on 1 April 2010. In his new role Ian is responsible for overseeing the worldwide commercial operations of SSL, namely Europe, Americas, Asia Pacific and Russia. He joined Seton Healthcare in 1991 as Director of Marketing and has subsequently held a number of senior sales, marketing and general management positions within the Group. He previously held sales and marketing positions at Johnson and Johnson and W. L. Gore & Associates.
Non-Executive Directors
Chairman
58
Chairman since August 2005, Gerald is also Chairman of Britvic plc, Moneysupermaket.com Group plc, the Royal National Institute of the Deaf and a Non-Executive Director of the Numis Corporation plc. Previous executive positions include Chief Executive of Railtrack plc and Group Finance Director of both Grand Metropolitan plc and Redland plc, whilst past non-executive directorships include Chairman of Woolworths Group plc and Non-Executive Director of MEPC plc, Burmah Castrol plc and Greencore Group plc.
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
70
Appointed in March 2002, Peter is Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees. Previously Peter was a senior executive of Hoechst and President of ABPI, a Non-Executive Director of Vernalis plc, Celltech Group plc, a member of the Board of the South East of England Development Agency and an independent Director of Innogenetics NV. He is currently also a Director of Phyliss Court Members Club Limited.
Non-Executive Director
52
Appointed as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman
of the Audit Committee in November 2003, Richard is
currently Group Finance Director of Carillion plc. Prior to
this, he was Group Finance Director of Associated British
Ports Holdings PLC. Richard is a Fellow of the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.
Non-Executive Director
63
Appointed to the Board in October 2008, Peter is currently Chairman of D S Smith Plc and a member of the Supervisory Board of Wienerberger AG. He was previously the Chief Executive of George Wimpey Plc and prior to that Chief Executive of The Rugby Group PLC.
Company Secretary
Company Secretary
45
Appointed Company Secretary in January 2008 after joining the Company as Assistant Secretary in 2002. Maria has previously held company secretarial positions with Whitbread PLC and Heron Corporation PLC.