Our Group Board

John Connolly, Non-executive director/chairman of the board

Non-executive director/Chairman of the board

Appointed: June 2012

Committee membership: Risk Committee

Skills and experience:A chartered accountant with extensive experience working in a global business environment and in sectors with strategic relevance to the Group.

Career experience:Spent his career until May 2011 with global professional services firm Deloitte, was Global Managing Director and then Global Chairman between 2007 and 2011. He was Senior Partner and CEO of the UK Partnership from 1999 until his retirement from the firm.

Current external commitments: Chairman of a number of private companies.

Ashley Almanza, Executive Chairman, International, Allied Universal Services

Executive Chairman, International, Allied Universal Services

Appointed: May 2013

Committee membership: Risk Committee

Skills and experience: Extensive board and executive management experience in complex international businesses. Holds an MBA from the London Business School.

Career experience: Senior executive roles at BG Group from 1993 to 2012, including CFO from 2002 to 2011 and Executive Vice President from 2009 to 2012, during which time he led BG Group’s UK, European and Central Asian businesses and the group’s commercial strategy in Central Asia. Formerly non-executive director (chair of Risk and Audit) of Schroders plc between 2011 and 2016 and Noble Corporation Inc between 2013 and 2018. He previously served as Chairman of the Hundred Group and was a member of the Advisory Board for the Oxford University Centre on Business Taxation.

Current external commitments: Chairman of the International Security Ligue.

Tim Brandt, Director

Director

Appointed: April 2021 following the acquisition of G4S by Allied Universal

Career experience: Tim worked with Deloitte for 30 years, serving as an audit partner and as Managing Partner of the Orange County practice of Deloitte. As Managing Partner, Tim oversaw four key business areas: audit, tax, consulting, and advisory services. He also served as an advisory and audit partner on many of the practice’s key clients, serving both fast growing private and public companies. He specialised in mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and public debt offerings. From 2002 to 2005, Tim worked in Deloitte's Japan offices, serving global technology and consumer products clients based in Osaka, Japan.

Current external commitments: Tim is the Global CFO of Allied Universal

David Buckman, Director

Director

Appointed: April 2021 following the acquisition of G4S by Allied Universal

Career experience: David has over 15 years of experience in the security industry and over 30 years of legal expertise. He served as an attorney with a large international law firm and as general counsel to the Sports and Entertainment Services Group of Aramark, a leading international provider of food, retail and support. David is the former Chair of the Board of the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and is a board member of the Education Law Center of PA, and National Association of Security Companies (NASCO).  He holds a B.A. from Amherst College and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. 

Current external commitments: David is responsible for all legal affairs for Allied Universal.

ADINE GRATE, NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Non-executive director

Appointed: July 2020

Committee membership: AUDIT COMMITTEE  and RISK COMMITTEE

Skills and experience: A highly experienced board director, in both non-executive and executive roles, with more than 25 years of experience in international business, with a primary sectoral interest over the years in TMT and financial services where-in she has had a particular focus on technological and business innovation and has been involved both in the development and implementation of transformative corporate plans and the successful completion of large M&A.

Career experience: A long and distinguished career with Investor AB (the leading owner of Nordic-based international companies controlled by the Wallenberg family) where she was an executive vice president and a director of the Executive Board, with a broad portfolio of senior responsibilities including heading corporate finance, corporate governance, equity capital markets, public affairs, strategy and co-managing the portfolio of listed investments.

Recent board directorships have included roles as non-executive director of Sky Plc (the leading listed media company in Europe until its acquisition by Comcast) between 2013 and 2018, Sampo Plc (the largest listed financial holding group in the Nordic region) between 2011 to 2019,  Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (an international biopharmaceutical company) between 2010 and 2016, director of Three Group (a major telecom group belonging to the Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings) between 2001- 2019  and of AP7, the Swedish state-owned investment fund where she was Vice Chairman between 2011 and 2019.

Current external commitments: Senior advisor to CK Hutchison Holdings, a Council Member of the Swedish Chamber Commerce in the UK, director of a small number of private companies and runs her own business advisory company.

 

Steve Mogford, Non-executive/Senior Independent director

Non-executive director/Senior independent director

Appointed: May 2016

Committee membership: Audit Committee and Risk Committee (Chair)

Skills and experience: First Class BSc Honours Degree in Astrophysics, Maths and Physics from Queen Elizabeth College, University of London. Extensive experience of delivery of complex programmes in the defence, infrastructure and utilities market. 

Career experience: Served a 30-year career with British Aerospace, later BAE Systems, during which time he held several senior management positions before becoming COO, with particular responsibility for programmes, major projects and customer support, and a member of the BAE Systems plc board. Chief executive of SELEX Galileo for four years prior to joining United Utilities Group plc in 2011 as CEO.

Current external commitments: CEO of United Utilities Group plc.

John Ramsay, non-executive director

Non-executive director

Appointed: January 2018

Committee membership: Audit Committee (chair) and Risk Committee

Skills and experience: A chartered accountant with extensive international experience in innovation-focused businesses.

Career experience: Began his career at KPMG and developed his experience in emerging markets, working in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Latin America for the manufacturer ICI. In 1993 was appointed Finance Head, Asia Pacific for Zeneca Agrochemicals and later promoted to Global Financial Controller. In 2000 he joined Syngenta AG, as Group Financial Controller, later being promoted to CFO until his retirement in 2016. Whilst at Syngenta he also served as interim CEO for nine months.

Current external commitments: Member of the Supervisory Board of Koninkijke DSM N.V and a non-executive director of RHI Magnesita N.V. and Croda International plc.

Tim Weller, chief financial officer, INTERNATIONAL, ALLIED UNIVERSAL SERVICES

Chief financial officer

Appointed: October 2016 having previously served as non-executive director since April 2013.

Committee membership: Risk Committee

Skills and experience: BSc (Hons) Engineering Science degree from the University of Exeter. An accountant by training and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales with significant experience of the energy and utilities sectors.

Career experience: Joined KPMG in 1985, rising to partnership in 1997 before joining Granada plc as director of financial control. Held CFO positions with Innogy, a leading integrated energy company at the time, RWE Thames Water and United Utilities Group plc. Was CFO of Cable & Wireless Worldwide plc between 2010 and 2011 and CFO of Petrofac Limited between 2011 and October 2016.

Current external commitments: Non‑executive director of the Carbon Trust.