BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Hays plc Board, Introduction
- Alan Thomson, Chairman
- Alistair Cox, Chief Executive
- Paul Venables, Group Finance Director
- William Eccleshare, Independent Non-Executive Director
- Paul Harrison, Independent Non-Executive Director
- Victoria Jarman, Independent Non-Executive Director
- Richard Smelt, Independent Non-Executive Director
- Pippa Wicks, Independent Non-Executive Director
Hays plc Board
Introduction
The effectiveness of the Board and its committees is determined by the qualities and experience of the individual directors.
The non-executive directors bring an independent view to the Board’s discussions and the development of the Company’s strategy. Their range of skills and experience ensures that the performance of management in achieving the business goals is appropriately challenged. They also ensure that financial controls and systems of risk management are both rigorous and appropriate for the needs of the business.
The profile of each director demonstrates the range of experience, independent judgement and contribution each director brings to the Board.
Alan Thomson
Chairman
Appointed Chairman of the Board and of the Nomination Committee on 10 November 2010 having been appointed as a non-executive director on 1 October 2010. Alan graduated with an MA degree in History and Economics from Glasgow University. He is currently Chairman of Bodycote plc, the international provider of thermal processing services and a non-executive director of Alstom SA, the French power generation, rail transportation and electrical transmission equipment manufacturer. He was formerly Group Finance Director of Smiths Group plc from 1995 until his retirement in 2006 and was, until 2011, the Senior Independent Director and Audit Committee Chairman of Johnson Matthey plc. He is a past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
Alistair Cox
Chief Executive
Appointed to the Board on 1 September 2007 and became Chief Executive on 15 November 2007. Alistair is a Chartered Engineer, having graduated in Aeronautical Engineering and holds an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in California. He began his career at British Aerospace, subsequently moving to Schlumberger in 1982 where he held a number of roles in field engineering, management and research science. After graduating from business school, he was a manager at McKinsey & Company before joining Blue Circle Industries (latterly Lafarge) where he was Group Strategy Director and latterly Regional Director for Asia. He became Chief Executive at Xansa plc in 2002 before joining Hays. Alistair is a non-executive director of 3i Group plc.
Paul Venables
Group Finance Director
Appointed Group Finance Director on 2 May 2006. Paul is a Chartered Accountant. He was a Senior Manager at Deloitte and Touche, now Deloitte LLP. He worked for Exel plc for 13 years prior to the acquisition of Exel plc by Deutsche Post in December 2005. At Exel he held a number of senior finance and operational roles, including Deputy Group Finance Director, and was a member of the executive board of Exel plc and Chairman of their Acquisitions and Projects Review Board. He joined Hays from DHL Logistics, a division of Deutsche Post World Net. Paul is Senior Independent Director of Wincanton plc.
William Eccleshare
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed non-executive director on 24 November 2004 and is a member of the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees. William graduated with a Masters degree in History from Cambridge University. He was previously Chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam EMEA and Wunderman EMEA, held senior executive roles at McKinsey & Company, where he was also a Partner, and was Chairman and Chief Executive of BBDO Europe, where he was responsible for all BBDO advertising, direct marketing, digital and public relations agencies in 44 countries. He is Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc, the world’s largest outdoor advertising media owner, having previously held the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel’s International division. William played a major role in the development of the new Hays brand identity and continues to bring clarity on the Company’s marketing approach, especially across the Group’s international markets.
Paul Harrison
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed non-executive director on 8 May 2007, he is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee, a member of the Audit and Nomination Committees and Senior Independent Director. Paul is a Chartered Accountant. He was a Senior Manager at Price Waterhouse, now PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and was responsible for the provision of audit and advisory services to large private and publicly listed companies. He joined The Sage Group plc as Group Financial Controller in 1997 and became its Group Finance Director in April 2000. As finance director of a major technology and people-based international company, Paul has a strong technical understanding of governance best practice combined with practical commercial acumen. He is an influential voice on a wide range of matters and is well placed to represent the views of shareholders.
Victoria Jarman
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed non-executive director on 1 October 2011, Victoria is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees. Victoria graduated with a BEng (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Leicester and is a Chartered Accountant, having spent her early career at KPMG before moving to Lazard Corporate Finance in 1998. She was formerly Chief Operating Officer of Lazard’s London and Middle East operations and a member of its European Management Committee. Victoria is a non-executive director of De La Rue plc and a member of its audit and nomination committees. In addition to her accounting skills, she brings a wealth of international corporate finance and operational experience, which is valuable as the Group continues to broaden its business across a wide range of disciplines and geographies.
Richard Smelt
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed non-executive director on 15 November 2007 and is a member of the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees. Richard graduated in Psychology from Leeds University, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has an MBA from the London Business School. With over 30 years’ experience in HR management, he was Group Human Resources Director of Carphone Warehouse Group plc and Group Human Resources Director of Northern Rock plc post nationalisation. He currently has a portfolio of interests in private equity and corporate restructuring. Richard has been influential in helping the Company to enhance the key skills within its global workforce and has supported management in creating an industry-leading development process for all levels of employees.
Pippa Wicks
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed non-executive director on 1 January 2012 and is a member of the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees. Pippa graduated in Zoology from Oxford University following which she spent nine years with management consultants, Bain & Company. She is currently Managing Director of AlixPartners LLP, the global business advisory firm. She was previously a non-executive director of Ladbrokes plc where she was also a member of its audit committee, Group Finance Director of Courtaulds Textiles plc, Chief Executive of FT Knowledge at Pearson plc, and a non-executive director of Hilton International plc and Arcadia plc. Pippa has considerable broad-ranging experience gained at a senior level and brings valuable strategic and operational insights to the Board’s decision making.
