Our Executive Committee

Steve Foots, Group Chief Executive

Appointment: Appointed to the Board in July 2010 and Group Chief Executive since the beginning of 2012.

Key strengths and experience: Steve joined Croda as a graduate trainee in 1990 and has held a number of senior management positions which enables him to bring a business, strategic and operational background to the Croda Board. In July 2010, Steve became the President of Croda Europe. Having spent several years leading many different Croda businesses, he has gathered extensive insight into the markets served, the importance of customer focus and the power of an innovative culture.

External appointments: Industry co-Chair of the Chemistry Council.

Committee membership: Chair of the Executive and Finance Committees, and a member of Group SHEQ Committee.

Jez Maiden, Group Finance Director

Appointment: Appointed to the Board as Group Finance Director in January 2015.

Key strengths and experience: Jez has extensive experience in financial management, acquisitions and disposals, and a wealth of experience working in the speciality chemical sector.  As a chartered management accountant his expertise in all aspects of finance management gained in speciality chemical, FMCG and other manufacturing environments, allows him to support the Board and Executive of Croda in managing the performance of the capital allocation and investment evaluation.  Jez was Group Finance Director at National Express Group Plc from 2008 to 2014.  Prior to that, he was Group Finance Director at Northern Foods Plc and he has been Chief Financial Officer at British Vita Plc as well as Group Finance Director at Hickson International Plc, both listed speciality chemical companies.  Former Chairman of the Audit Committee and Senior Independent Director of Synthomer Plc and former Non-Executive Director and Audit and Risk Committee chairman of PZ Cussons Plc.  Jez is a fellow of the CIMA.

Committee membership: Member of the  Executive and Finance Committees and Chair of the Risk and IT Steering Committees and the Digital Advisory Group. 

Anthony Fitzpatrick, President Performance Technologies & Industrial Chemicals and President Corporate Development

Appointment: Appointed to the Executive Committee in March 2014.

Key strengths and experience: With over 23 years in global investment banking based in both New York and London, primarily focusing on the chemicals industry following his degree in Chemistry, Anthony has extensive insight and transactional experience in strategic mergers and acquisitions and associated financings.  With strong business and leadership skills, he joined Croda in March 2014 having previously worked at Goldman Sachs and UBS, where he was Global Head of Chemicals.

Anthony has global responsibility for Croda's Corporate Development activities. In addition to Corporate Development leadership, Anthony was previously Regional President for Latin America and was appointed President of Performance Technologies & Industrial Chemicals effective 1 September 2020. 

Committee membership: Member of the Executive, Ethics, Grading and Group SHEQ Committees. 

Tom Brophy, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary

Appointment: Appointed as Secretary to the Board in December 2012.

Key strengths and experience: Tom is an experienced corporate lawyer, having worked at City law firm Hogan Lovells and FTSE 100 company Ferguson. His expertise in public and private acquisitions supports Croda’s inorganic growth plans and his professional background and breadth of experience in insurance, risk and compliance enable him to Chair the Ethics Committee. Tom provides corporate governance knowhow to the Board and Croda. Prior to joining Croda, Tom spent seven years at Wolseley Plc in a number of legal and governance roles, including as Deputy General Counsel and Company Secretary. 

Committee membership: Secretary to the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees, Chairman of the Ethics Committee, member of the Executive, and Risk Committees.

Sandra Breene, President Regional Delivery

Appointment: Appointed to the Executive Committee in February 2012.

Key strengths and experience: Sandra is a well-developed leader of people with an extensive understanding of customer needs and ability to speak their language. This was gained through a technical background and over 30 years’ of working across all of Croda’s market sectors having joined as a Graduate Trainee. With a strong commercial acumen applied during a number of acquisitions, Sandra also has great insight into emerging markets and cultural differences having lived in Asia leading the regional Sales & Marketing teams. Sandra has a passion for building an engaging and inclusive culture and has managed large global teams. Having worked across many functions she has a strong understanding of business process and how to drive productivity and efficiency.

Committee Membership: Member of the Executive, Finance, Sustainability and Grading Committees and is a member of Digital Advisory Group.

Maarten Heybroek, President Consumer Care

Appointment: Appointed to the Executive Committee in February 2012.

Key strengths and experience: Maarten has strong business, operational and strategic leadership skills, with wide-ranging sales and marketing experience having worked and lived in North America, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Maarten has a Masters in Chemistry and an MBA, joining Croda through the acquisition of Uniqema where he started his career within the Unichema business in 1992 as a Unilever Graduate Trainee.

Committee membership: Member of the Executive Committee and Risk Management Committee and Corporate SHEQ Steering Committee.

Mark Robinson, President - Global Operations

Appointment: Appointed to the Executive Committee in September 2020.

Key strengths and experience: Mark has a wide operations experience at Croda, joining in 1994 as a graduate Chemical Engineer. With extensive managerial and leadership skills gained from being the Site Director of two sites, leading European Operational teams and Global Operations President. Mark has been responsible for the successful execution of investment and change programmes within the European region and globally

Committee membership: Member of the Executive, Finance, Sustainability, Grading, and IT Steering Committees, a member of the Digital Advisory Group and Chair of the Group SHEQ Committee. 

Nick Challoner, Group Chief Scientific Officer

Appointment: Appointed to the Executive Committee in April 2012.

Key strengths and experience: With strong strategic leadership skills, Nick has applied his business and operational expertise in a number of senior management positions gaining experience in R&D, technical, marketing, sales and general business management. He has also developed international expertise working in the emerging markets of Latin America and Asia Pacific, where he led all of Croda’s operations across these regions. Nick joined Croda as a graduate trainee in 1993. Previously President Life Sciences, Nick was appointed to the position of Group Chief Scientific Officer in September 2020.

Committee Membership: Member of the Executive, Risk, Ethics, Finance, Sustainability and Digital Advisory Group Committees. 

Tracy Sheedy, Group HR Director

Appointment:  Joined Croda as Group HR Director in June 2016 and appointed to the Executive Committee in November 2019

Key strengths and experience:  Extensive international HR experience in a variety of generalist and organisation development roles mostly within the chemical and manufacturing sectors. Prior to joining Croda Tracy was the Group HR Development Director and Executive Committee Member with Fenner Plc having previously worked for Scapa Plc, BAE Systems, ConvaTec and Monsanto. Tracy is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Committee membership:  Member of the Executive, Ethics, and Sustainability Committees and Chair of the Grading Committee. 

Daniele Piergentili, President - Life Sciences

Appointment: Appointed to the Executive Committee 1 April 2021.

Key strengths and experience: Daniele Piergentili is President of Croda’s Life Sciences sector. Daniele is an Italian national with extensive international experience having worked in the US, UK, Switzerland and Germany. He has spent the past 20 years working for BASF principally in its pharmaceutical business.  He has been responsible for the unit’s manufacturing and commercial operations, supplying drug delivery platforms such as biologics excipients and adjuvants, and custom synthesis services to the global pharmaceutical industry.

Committee membership: Member of the Executive Committee, Group SHEQ and the Digital Advisory Group.