The board

Roy Franklin

Chair

Roy brings to the Board more than 49 years’ experience as a senior executive in the oil and gas industry including strong strategic and operational expertise and extensive experience in chairing boards of listed companies. Such combined knowledge enables him to steer the Board’s focus, promoting open and productive debate and contributes to the Board’s practical understanding of good governance. He has an outstanding track record and has demonstrated consistent and valuable leadership.

Roy is currently a director of Kosmos Energy Ltd and an independent non-executive director of Energean plc. Roy initially spent 18 years at BP, latterly as head of M&A, BP Exploration, after which he was group MD of Clyde Petroleum and then CEO of Paladin Resources until its acquisition by Talisman Energy in 2005. Since then, Roy has served on several international energy boards in non-executive roles, including Amec Foster Wheeler plc. He is a former Chair of Keller Group PLC and former deputy Chair of Equinor A/S.  Roy was Chair of privately held companies, Cuadrillla Resources Ltd and Energean Israel Ltd until 30 June 2020 and 25 February 2021 respectively and until 31 March 2021 was Chair of Premier Oil plc.

Ken Gilmartin

Chief executive officer (CEO)

Ken joined Wood in September 2021 as the Group’s Chief Operating Officer and was appointed CEO and an executive member of the Board of Directors in July 2022. Ken brings a wealth of industry experience and excellent strategic and leadership skills to Wood and is focused on building on Wood’s strong foundations to capture growth opportunities in energy security and sustainability and deliver value for shareholders over the medium term.

Ken began his professional career over 25 years ago in civil engineering with Deutsche Bahn and prior to joining Wood, spent 15 years at Jacobs in various Operational and Project leadership roles including, Executive Vice President of their People and Places solutions business holding responsibility for more than half of Jacobs’ overall business portfolio.

David Kemp

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

David is an experienced CFO with a significant track record of building financial discipline, driving growth and margin improvement and delivering excellence. His extensive knowledge of the debt and equity markets and the wider financial and service sectors is vital to the Company’s objectives of resilience and a strong balance sheet.

David was appointed as CFO of Wood Group’s PSN division in 2013 and as CFO of John Wood Group PLC in 2015 and has recently announced his intention to resign, effective date to be confirmed. David is a non-executive director of Craneware plc and was a director of Albyn School Limited until January 2022.

Prior to joining Wood Group, he served in executive roles at Trap Oil Group, Technip, Simmons & Company International and Hess Corporation, working across Finance, M&A and Operations.  He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

Birgitte Brinch Madsen

Non-executive Director

Birgitte has extensive, global experience of engineering and consulting projects in the energy and built environment sector. Her knowledge and understanding of green energy technologies adds value as Wood continues to strengthen its expertise within renewable energy. Birgitte adds to the balance of skills and diversity of views on the Board.

Birgitte is Chair of Milton Huse A/S, RUM A/S and DELPRO A/S; Deputy Chair of DEIF A/S and the Danish fund companies Danske Invest and Danske Invest Select; and a non-executive director of the Danish based road contractor, Arkil Holding A/S. She was previously Chief Technical Officer with Maersk FPSO’s, a business unit of international logistics company A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S, and prior to that was BU Director of the Energy and Industry business of the Danish international engineering consultancy COWI A/S.

*Image © Søren Svendsen, M&L

Jacqui Ferguson

Non-executive director

Jacqui contributes to both strategic and operational matters with wide-ranging managerial and equality, diversity and inclusion experience. Her diverse outlook and broad industry related technology expertise from multiple sectors including telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing, travel & transportation, energy and government is an important element enabling the Board to deliver its strategy and long-term growth.

Jacqui has been a non-executive director of Tesco Bank since April 2018 and, in June 2023, she was appointed Chair; she is a senior independent director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of Croda International PLC; a director of F&F Holdings Ltd and deputy Chair of Engineering UK. Jacqui was previously a founding member of the Scottish First Minister’s Advisory Board for Women and Girls, her three-year term having ended during 2021, and a member of the Advisory Board of Equans until September 2023.

Adrian Marsh

Non-executive director

Adrian has a wealth of financial expertise in large multi-national companies. He has a proven track record in financial, strategic and commercial roles and brings substantial audit, risk and audit committee expertise to the Board.

Adrian was appointed independent non-executive director and Chair of Risk and Audit Committee of Co-operative Group Ltd on 1 May 2023.  He was previously Group Finance Director of DS Smith plc until June 2023 and Head of Tax, Treasury and Corporate Finance at Tesco plc and has also held divisional CFO positions at both AstraZeneca PLC and Pilkington plc.

Nigel Mills

Non-executive director and senior independent director

Nigel has extensive financial, commercial and investor relations skills, having advised some of the UK’s largest companies across a broad range of end markets. His strong strategic financial experience ensures he is well equipped to provide sound advice together with independent challenge to the Board. His contribution strengthens the Board’s discussions and is invaluable as Wood strives for long-term growth.

Nigel is senior independent director of Persimmon Plc, where he also served as acting Chair for six months in 2018.  He was appointed as a non-executive director of Greggs plc in March 2023 and in May 2023, appointed senior independent director and he is a director of QC Holdings Limited, The Queen’s Club Limited and QC Ground Limited. His executive career was in investment banking, as Chair of Corporate Broking at Citi and Chief Executive Officer at Hoare Govett.

Brenda Reichelderfer

Non-executive director

Brenda is an engineer with broad business leadership experience. She brings considerable global engineering and operational capability from multiple industries to the Board, together with valuable independent advice.

Brenda is currently a director of Moog Aerospace, Tribus Aerospace and Federal Signal Corporation. She was previously Senior Vice President and Managing Director of global consulting firm TriVista, Inc. and non-executive director of Meggitt plc. Prior to that Brenda was Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Director of Engineering of ITT Corporation. She also held the position of President in two of ITT’s four Operating Divisions during her 28-year tenure.

Susan Steele

Non-executive director

Susan has wide-ranging engineering and construction industry, programme management and supply chain performance experience. Her global expertise across a range of end markets significantly strengthens the Board.

Susan is the Chief Executive Officer of Steele & Partners. She was previously, until January 2023, an independent director of Hill International, Inc., and was, until May 2021 a director of Harvard Bioscience, Inc. She was Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain Management at Jacobs Engineering and held several roles including Vice President, Business Development for Manufacturing and Life Sciences at CHM2 Hill. In October 2021 Susan was inducted into the National Academy of Construction, which recognises and honours individuals for their distinguished contribution to the industry and to share their expertise.

Martin McIntyre

Company secretary