Board of Directors

Anita Frew, Chair

Appointment: Appointed to the Board in March 2015 and Chair since September 2015.

Key strengths and experience: Anita has been on plc boards for 20 years and has extensive leadership and international experience, together with a broad knowledge of strategic management across a range of sectors including specialty chemicals.  Anita was chairman of Victrex plc until 2014 and Senior Independent Director of Aberdeen Asset Management and IMI PLC.  She has held executive director roles at Abbott Mead Vickers and WPP Group as well as various investment and marketing roles at Scottish Provident Institute and The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc.  Anita retired from her role as Deputy Chairman and Non-Executive Director of Lloyds Banking Group PLC in May 2020.



External appointments:  Non-Executive Director of BHP Billiton PLC and BHP Billiton Limited.

Committee membership: Chair of the Nomination 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: Strong business, operational and strategic leadership, wide-ranging sales and marketing experience. Steve joined Croda as a graduate trainee in 1990 and has held a number of senior management positions in the Group, becoming President of Croda Europe in July 2010. Prior to this, Steve held a number of Managing Director roles across Croda’s European business.

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

Committee membership: Chairman of the Group Executive and Group Finance Committees, member of Group SHEQ Steering Committees.

John Ramsay, Non-Executive Director

Appointment: Appointed to the Board in January 2020.

Key strengths and experience: John, a charted accountant, brings a wealth of financial, international and sector experience, including a Life Sciences background gained through roles at ICI, AstraZeneca and Syngenta. With him, he also brings skills and knowledge in emerging markets, gained through his 10 years living and working in Asia and his work in Latin America. His extensive experience as an Audit Committee Chair complements and enhances the Board expertise we already have.

External appointments: John is a member of the Supervisory Board at Koninklijke DSM N.V.  and a Non-Executive Director of G4S plc and RHI Magnesita N.V. He is Audit Committee Chair on all three boards.

Committee membership: Chairman of the Audit Committee, member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees.

Helena Ganczakowski, Non-Executive Director (Senior Independent Director)

Appointment: Appointed to the Board in February 2014 and Senior Independent Director since April 2020.

Key strengths and experience: Wealth of experience in consumer marketing and innovative product development. Helena worked for Unilever for 23 years and held senior positions in brand management, consumer marketing and strategy development. Helena has a PhD in Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

External appointments: Helena is a Non-Executive Director of Greggs Plc. She runs a consulting business working with a range of organisations, helping them to develop and implement strategies.

Committee membership: Chairman of Remuneration Committee, member of the Audit and Nomination Committees.

Keith Layden, Non-Executive Director

Appointment: Appointed to the Board in 2012 and Non-Executive Director since May 2017.

Key strengths and experience: Deep understanding of chemical innovation and broad operational and management experience. Keith joined Croda in 1984 and was appointed to the Board as Chief Technology Officer in February 2012.  Until January 2016 he was responsible for the Technology Investment Group.  Up until his retirement in April 2017 he was responsible for global R&D and was also President Life Sciences.

External appointments: Keith is an Honorary Professor of Chemistry and Industry at the University of Nottingham where he also serves as Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board for chemistry.  At the University of Sheffield he serves as a member of Council, a Representative of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Health and Safety Committee and Alumni Board. Keith is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and member of the Industry and Technology Division Council at the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Committee membership: Member of the Nomination Committee.

Roberto Cirillo, Non-Executive Director

Appointment: Appointed to the Board in April 2018.

Key strengths and experience: Roberto brings with him a wealth of experience in operations and strategy having worked in a number of international roles over the last 20 years.  In April 2019 Roberto was appointed CEO of Swiss Post.  Up until February 2018 he was Chief Executive Officer of Optegra International Limited, the international eye healthcare company.  Before that he spent seven years at Sodexo, where he played a critical role in the company’s transformation and growth, working in a variety of roles, including in strategy and later as Group COO and as Country CEO of their French business.  Prior to that Roberto worked as a consultant at Mckinsey & Company across many different areas and countries.

External appointments: CEO of Swiss Post, the national postal service of Switzerland.

Committee membership: Member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Jez Maiden, Group Finance Director

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

Key strengths and experience: Extensive experience in financial management, and acquisitions and disposals, and a wealth of experience working in the speciality chemical sector.  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: Chairman of the Risk Management Committee, member of the Group Executive and Group Finance Committees.

Tom Brophy, Group General Counsel, Company Secretary and MD Western Europe

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

Key strengths and experience: Tom is a solicitor and has responsibility for legal affairs, corporate governance, insurance and human resources. 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.  Before then he worked as a corporate lawyer at City law firm Hogan Lovells.

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

Jacqui Ferguson, Non-Executive Director

Appointment: Appointed to the Board in September 2018.

Key strengths and experience: Jacqui is an experienced CEO from the technology industry.  Jacqui is the former CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services UK, Ireland, Middle East Mediterranean and Africa, a business serving large corporate and mid-sized companies with transformational digital, technology and business process solutions.  She was also Chief of Staff at Hewlett Packard working with the Chairman and CEO focused on a new company strategy and transformation.  Prior to Hewlett Packard Jacqui worked for Electronic Data Systems, acquired by HP in 2008, and KPMG.  Jacqui has also chaired the public services strategy board for the CBI and was a member of the Tech Partnership.

External appointments: Jacqui is currently a non-executive director of Wood Plc and a non-executive director of Tesco Bank.  Jacqui is a Trustee of Engineering UK, member of the Scottish First Ministers Advisory Board for Women and Girls and member of the Advisory Board of Engie UK.

Committee membership: Member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.