I am proud to be the fourth generation of the Swan family to work for the company. As Managing Director I am committed to expanding the business into new markets by building on our firm foundation of trust, experience and a passion for our industry.

I joined the company in 2002 to launch the new Carbon Nanomaterials business – just one of the products which demonstrate our drive for innovation. I took over as Managing Director in 2006 and, in addition to my responsibilities to Thomas Swan, I currently sit on the Board of Innovate UK, the Chemical Industries Association and the Chemistry Growth Partnership. I also chair the Advisory Board of the Centre for Education Collaboration at York University.

After graduating from Durham University in 1998 I started my working life as a Scientific Affairs Manager for Monsanto Plc. - followed by two years at Regester Larkin Ltd., providing technical and scientific advice to major international companies. My focus is now on leading Thomas Swan into an exciting new future, developing our credentials as an innovative global player and to maintain our core values of outstanding quality and customer service.

As Finance Director I am responsible for the finance and Information Technology functions at Thomas Swan which include financial and management reporting, banking/legal relationships, and the supervision of the finance /IT teams.

Since joining the company in 1998 I have also acted as Finance Director for several of our start-up ventures, including Screen Technology Ltd (up to its admission to AIM in 2005 after raising £8M) and BioDynamics Research Ltd (prior to its acquisition by Quotient BioResearch Group in 2008).

After graduating in Mathematics at Newcastle University, I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1988 with Price Waterhouse, where I worked as an audit manager. Prior to joining Thomas Swan I gained experience in finance and general management roles in a variety of service, contract and manufacturing companies.

I believe it is vitally important that the core values of the company are maintained as we expand our business activities on a more global scale. Our business is built on strong foundations, which puts us in the ideal position to develop and exploit a wide range of opportunities for growth.

After graduation from University College London with a First in Chemical Engineering I seem to have followed Tom Swan around the industry.

I, too, joined Dow into a graduate training scheme concentrating on commercial functions including sales of epoxy resins to ……. Tom Swan!

Other sectors covered were paints, automotive and organics sales to the Chemical Industry. My career in Dow ended marketing hydrocarbons from their head office in Switzerland.

I joined Ato to run their polystyrene business, turning a loss making activity into a highly productive jewel in Ato’s crown. Eventually I became Chairman and MD of Ato in the UK. I was elected President of the British Plastics Federation and also, like Tom, Treasurer of the CIA. I became Industry Nominated Director of the Polymer Industry Training Board, The Oil and Chemical Training Board (COGENT) and, again with Tom, The Process Industry Centre for Manufacturing Excellence (PICME).

My final roles within the successor of Ato, Total Petrochemicals, were Chairman of the Total Pension Company and Total Holdings UK Ltd. Board Director responsible for their UK chemical subsidiaries. I joined Thomas Swan and Company as a Director after retirement from Total.

I am a graduate chemical engineer and chartered management accountant with extensive experience in finance and general management positions. My career has included periods in the Chemicals Industry and International Banking with the Royal Bank of Canada.

I am a highly experienced advisor and investor in the private equity tech space and was previously Managing Partner of venture capital firm MTI Ventures. At MTI I was responsible for several of their most successful transactions and became Managing Partner in 2003, I was actively involved in much of MTI’s fund raising activity; with 6 institutional funds over 20 years. Before joining MTI in 1985, I was the Chief Financial Officer in a $5 million start-up venture in the oil processing sector.

Since leaving MTI I have continued to be involved in early stage investing as an Non Executive Director and investor/advisor/consultant. I work as a non-exec with Thomas Swan and also with the Foresight Group, chairing three funds focusing on the waste/recycling sector.

I am active in a number of industry bodies, a regular media commentator on the early stage and technology space and speak regularly at industry conferences on these topics.

I was appointed as a director of Thomas Swan on 1 January 1997 and I am currently deputy chairman. I am also a director of Cambridge Photonics Ltd, a subsidiary of Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd.
I acted as Managing Director of Thomas Swan during the period 2005-2006 and have also served as a director of BioDynamics Research Ltd which was a subsidiary of Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. until 2008.