Board composition
Nigel Lingwood
Appointed: 30 April 2020
Career and experience: Nigel joined the Board in April 2020 as an independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee. He became Chair of the Board on 23 June 2023. He is Chair of the Nomination Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.
Nigel was group finance director of Diploma PLC from 2001 to 2020. During his time at Diploma, Nigel oversaw more than 50 international acquisitions across Europe, North America and Australia, during which time the company had grown market capitalisation from circa £60 million to circa £2.7 billion.
Nigel was previously senior independent director and audit committee chair of Creston plc from July 2015 until December 2016 when the company was taken private.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success:
Nigel brings extensive public company, financial and accounting and acquisition experience. He also has recent and relevant financial and accounting expertise together with extensive public company experience and wide ranging international business experience; significant strategic and operational expertise together with extensive merger and acquisition experience, both in the UK and internationally.
External appointments: Nigel is currently Senior Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair at Dialight plc.
Ronnie George
Appointed: 15 May 2014
Career and experience: Ronnie joined Volution in 2008 as Managing Director of Vent-Axia Division (now the Ventilation Group) and became CEO in 2012 upon leading the management buy-out backed by TowerBrook Capital Partners LP. Since then he has transformed the Company from a UK-centric provider of air quality solutions into a globally diversified organisation with 22 market leading brands in 17 countries. Ronnie led the successful listing of Volution on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in 2014 and has subsequently delivered a strong and consistent financial performance, increasing revenue by over two and a half times, and growing the Company organically and through a total of 26 acquisitions since first becoming CEO. Volution is now one of the leading ventilation companies fully active on an international basis.
Ronnie has extensive industry experience and prior to joining Volution spent 20 years in the wire and cable industry latterly leading Draka’s global activities to supply to the marine, oil and gas sectors. In 2015 he was nominated as a finalist for EY Entrepreneur of the Year in London and the South East.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: Significant strategic and operational expertise together with extensive merger and acquisition experience, both in the UK and internationally, and in-depth knowledge of the ventilation industry.
External appointments:
None.
Andy O’Brien
Appointed: 1 August 2019
Career and experience: Andy joined Volution as Chief Financial Officer in August 2019 following nine years at Aggreko plc, a leading global provider of mobile power and temperature control solutions, where he held a number of senior finance roles most recently as Finance Director, Power Solutions. Andy’s background also includes broad financial leadership, strategy and general management positions in the oil & gas and building materials industries with General Electric and Lafarge S.A.
Andy brings extensive international financial and accounting expertise through a background working in a global business environment having lived and worked in the Nordics, Middle East and Singapore as well as the UK and Republic of Ireland. Throughout his career, Andy has operated in environments where cost control and strong operational management has been critical.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: Financial and accounting expertise both in the UK and internationally, significant merger and acquisition experience, strong track record of building, developing and leading multi-location teams.
External appointments: None.
Amanda Mellor
Appointed: 19 March 2018
Career and experience: Amanda joined the Board in March 2018 as an independent Non-Executive Director and brings experience in international business, shareholder relations, strategy and governance. She is also the Senior Independent Director of the Board.
Amanda also has wide-ranging experience in climate and sustainability matters, and attends Volution’s Management Sustainability Committee meetings as representative of the Board, to ensure effective oversight of the Group’s environmental and social sustainability agenda.
Amanda is currently the group secretary of Haleon plc and was previously group secretary for Standard Chartered plc and, prior to that, group secretary and head of corporate governance at Marks and Spencer Group plc where she was also an executive member of the operating committee. As part of these roles, Amanda was involved in numerous sustainability-related and climate transition initiatives.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: Experience in international business, consumer and retail, sustainability and ESG, shareholder relations, strategy and governance.
External appointments: Amanda is currently group secretary of Haleon plc.
Claire Tiney
Appointed: 3 August 2016
Career and experience: Claire joined the Board in August 2016 as an independent Non-Executive Director and was appointed as chair of the Remuneration Committee on 30 April 2020. Claire is also the designated Non-Executive Director at Volution for workforce engagement.
Claire has over 30 years’ listed company experience, including a number of executive roles at WHSmith Group plc, Mothercare plc and McArthurGlen Ltd, bringing strengths in business strategy and turnaround, strategic development and change management. Claire was previously senior independent director and chair of the remuneration committee at Topps Tiles Plc and non-executive director and chair of the remuneration committee of Hollywood Bowl Group plc.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: Extensive board-level experience with key strengths in business strategy and turnaround, strategic development and change management.
External appointments: None
Dr. Margaret Amos
Appointed: 10 March 2022
Career and experience: Margaret joined the Board in March 2022 as an independent Non Executive Director, and is a member of the Audit, Remuneration, and Nomination Committees.
Margaret’s career began at Rolls-Royce Plc in 1990, where she gained extensive financial and commercial experience, serving most recently as Senior Finance Business Partner, Aerospace (from 2013 to 2015) and Finance Director, Corporate, IT and Engineering (from 2015 to 2017). Following her time at Rolls-Royce Plc, Margaret founded and managed an aerospace consultancy business from 2018 to 2020.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: Extensive board-level experience with expertise in a wide range of fields including finance, business strategy, international M&A, and sustainability.
External appointments: Margaret currently serves as a non-executive director for Pod Point Group Holdings plc (where she is also chair of the audit and ESG committees), Trust Alliance Group (where she is also chair of the audit committee) and Hunting plc (where she is also ethics and sustainability chair).
Jonathan Davis
Appointed: 23 June 2023
Career and experience: Jonathan joined the Board in June 2023 as an independent Non-Executive Director and chairman of the Audit Committee, bringing strong financial and accounting expertise and extensive public company, M&A, and international experience.
He was group finance director at Rotork plc, a FTSE 250 global provider of mission-critical intelligent flow control solutions operating across a diverse range of markets, including the oil & gas, water, power, chemicals, and including the oil & gas, water, power, chemicals, and process industries, from 2010 until his retirement in April 2024.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and long-term success: Recent and relevant financial and accounting expertise, public company and international experience.
External appointments: None.
Fiona Smith
Appointed: 01 February 2022
Career and experience: Fiona joined Volution as Company Secretary in February 2022 and plays a leading role in the governance of the Group ensuring compliance with the rules and regulations required by a premium Main Market listing on the London Stock Exchange including the UK Corporate Governance Code.
Fiona has significant experience as a governance professional and, prior to joining Volution, was Company Secretary at international business, Cineworld Group plc. Fiona is also a qualified lawyer with over 16 years of post-qualification experience in corporate law.
External appointments: None
Board ethnic diversity
Board gender diversity
Non-Executive Director tenure
* Nigel Lingwood, Non-Executive Chairman, was independent on appointment