Non-Executive Director for Industrial Businesses

Industrial businesses are one of the three sectors I work in as a Non-Executive Director and Board Adviser, alongside consumer goods and technology. This page covers what I bring to industrial boards: international growth, acquisitions and integration, ownership change and AI, for private, PE-backed and growth boards in the UK and Europe.

Much of my operating career was in industrial products: adhesives, specialty chemicals and the products that go into other companies’ factories. I ran Henkel’s adhesives businesses in South East Asia and Russia, chaired Brent International’s European specialty chemicals group, and sat on the board of a Morgan Crucible division through its private equity backed MBO.

What I bring to an industrial board

• International growth. Built Henkel Adhesives South East Asia from a standing start to c.£30m revenue and c.100 people across four markets, including a joint venture in Indonesia with Sinar Mas. Led Henkel’s adhesives business in Russia from the 1998 crisis, with c.30% revenue growth and €60m of new business in three years.
• Acquisition and integration. Led the South East Asia integration after Henkel’s $1.2bn acquisition of Loctite in 1997. Earlier, led the post-acquisition integration team at Henkel UK, bringing Henkel’s international product lines into UK industrial and food and beverage markets.
• Buy and build. Chairman of Brent International’s £41m European business group, c.250 people with six country MDs reporting, growing through bolt-on acquisitions of small chemical companies whose owners stayed on as shareholders and managers.
• Ownership change. Non-Executive Director of Holt Lloyd International as the Morgan Crucible division prepared for and agreed its £68m MBO, backed by Electra Kingsway, with a c.15% reduction in manufacturing cost.
• Operations and supply chain. As interim General Manager at Carphone Warehouse, introduced RFID tagging on pallets, cutting logistics costs by c.10%.

Where I can help

• PE-backed industrial businesses: testing the value creation plan, integrating bolt-on acquisitions, and readiness for the next ownership change.
• Founder and family-owned manufacturers: building a board that challenges without taking over, and preparing for international growth, investment or exit.
• Investors: market intelligence and pre-deal due diligence on industrial and consumer goods targets.

Case studies

• Holt Lloyd: preparing a Morgan Crucible division for exit through an MBO
• Henkel and Loctite: leading the South East Asia integration of a $1.2bn acquisition

Talk to me

Whether your business is in industrial, consumer goods or technology, if your board is looking for a Non-Executive Director or Board Adviser, get in touch or read more about my NED and board advisory work.