Robin has significant experience as an executive and non-executive director having started his career in corporate finance and M&A advisory. He has wide-ranging experience in the packaging, building materials, and technology sectors within both public and private sectors.
He is currently Chairman of FIH Group plc, NHS Professionals Ltd and NHS property Services Ltd. Since 2003, Robin has been engaged in a number of non-executive director roles across public, private equity backed, public sector and family owned businesses, including Nanoco Group plc and Baronsmead VCT 4 plc. He was appointed executive director at Hepworth plc in 1998, where performance was improved, leading to a successful trade sale in 2001. In 1992, he co-founded the Britton Group, which grew by acquisition and organic investment and was sold in 1998.
Blair has a strong history of turning around underperforming businesses, focusing them on margin improvement, revenue growth and customer service by building the right teams and managing their performance to realise compelling visions for their companies. He has significant cross-sector experience in the building materials, engineering, energy, chemical distribution, retail, and FMCG sectors.
Between 2013 and 2016, he was Chief Executive of the Brush Group, (a Melrose plc company) having served as Chief Executive of Tarmac Building Products from 2009 and of Polypipe between 2004 and 2006. He was also a former Divisional Chief Executive and executive director at Marshalls plc.
Blair was formerly a commissioned officer in the Royal Marines Commandos.
Joanne qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand in December 1991 and has over 15 years' experience acting as an executive and non-executive director across a number of large-scale public companies. She has significant listed company experience across several sectors, including healthcare, oil and gas, engineering, shipping and logistics, real estate, construction, and pulp, paper and packaging.
Prior to joining Stirling, she was Interim CFO of Al Noor plc between 2015 and 2016 having acted as CFO for Lamprell plc between 2013 and 2014. Between 1998 and 2003, she worked for P&O, the global shipping group, as Group CFO having joined as a divisional CFO. Prior to this she worked for International Paper (CHH), where she was she divisional CFO between 1994 and 1998.
Simon is a Chartered Management Accountant focused on helping businesses improve strategic planning, general and financial management, and M&A or disposal processes. He specialises in restructuring and repositioning global industrial businesses in the automotive, engineering, contracting, consulting engineering, and manufacturing sectors.
Simon joined Stirling from Brush Group, (a Melrose plc company) where he was an executive director. Prior to this he held a management role at Acument Global Technologies between 2007 and 2011 having had financial roles with TI Automotive between 1998 and 2007 and APV plc, (now known as Invensys plc) between 1992 and 1998.
Chris is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has significant experience in general management, private equity and investment banking in the manufacturing, building products, and infrastructure sectors.
He currently serves as an independent non-executive director for Electricity North West Ltd.
Earlier in his career he was the European Chairman of Challenger Group between 2006 and 2015, having been Managing Partner of Rutland Partners LLP, the private equity turnaround fund, from 2000 to 2005. Chris co-founded Rutland Trust plc in 1987 having begun his career as an investment banker with Barclays de Zoete Wedd.