Our Board and management

A strong leadership team committed to driving our strategy for growth.

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Our Board and management

Martin Towers Chair of the Board

Joined the Board in July 2011 and was appointed Chair in November 2012

Martin Towers

Chair of the Board

Martin is also the non-executive chairman of Tyman plc and Restore plc. He was the senior independent director of RPC Group plc but stepped down from the board in July 2018. He was also formerly chief executive officer of Spice plc and prior to that group finance director of Kelda Group plc, Spring Ram Corporation plc and McCarthy and Stone plc. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Nick Kelsall Group Chief Executive

Chief Executive on 1 April 2011 having previously served as Group Finance Director since October 1996

Nick Kelsall

Group Chief Executive

Nick joined Norcros as Finance Director of H&R Johnson Tiles Limited in 1993. Formerly, Nick had held a number of senior financial management positions with Touche Ross, Manchester, and, immediately prior to joining Norcros, with Waterford Wedgwood Group plc. Nick was appointed as Group Chief Executive on 1 April 2011 having previously served as Group Finance Director since October 1996. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Shaun Smith Group Finance Director

Appointed Group Finance Director in April 2016

Shaun Smith

Group Finance Director

Shaun was group finance director and treasurer at AGA Rangemaster Group plc (formerly Glynwed International Plc) until its takeover in 2015. He began his career in retail management and corporate treasury at Marks and Spencer plc before joining Glynwed International Plc in 1989. Shaun is a qualified Corporate Treasurer and until June 2019, a non-executive director and audit committee chairman of Air Partner plc.

David McKeith Non-executive Director

Appointed to the Board in July 2013

David McKeith

Non-executive Director

David is Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. David was a senior partner of the Manchester and Liverpool offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and served on its UK supervisory board. David was until August 2016 a non-executive director and audit committee chairman of Sportech plc, and is the chairman of the Halle Orchestra, Manchester. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Jo Hallas Non-executive Director

Appointed to the Board in September 2012

Jo Hallas

Non-executive Director

Jo is Chair of the Remuneration Committee. She is the chief executive of Tyman plc. She was prior to that a business group director for Spectris plc with responsibility for the in-line instrumentation and industrial controls segments. Prior to that Jo was general manager of the Invensys Residential Controls business and she has held a number of senior management positions with Bosch and Procter & Gamble both in the UK and overseas. Jo is a Chartered Engineer. Jo will be stepping down from the Board of Norcros plc at its AGM on 23 July 2019.

Alison Littley Non-executive Director

Alison was appointed a Non-executive Director in May 2019

Alison Littley

Non-executive Director

Alison was appointed a Non‑executive Director in May 2019 and will be appointed Chair of the Remuneration Committee in July 2019. Alison has substantial experience in multinational manufacturing and supply chain operations, and a strong international leadership background gained through a variety of senior management positions in Diageo plc and Mars Inc and an agency to HM Treasury where she was chief executive officer. She is currently a non-executive director at Headlam Group plc, James Hardie Industries Plc, Weightmans LLP and Geoffrey Osborne Group.

Richard Collins Company Secretary

Joined the Company in June 2013 as Company Secretary and Group Counsel

Richard Collins

Company Secretary

Richard qualified as a solicitor in 1988 and was previously company secretary and director of risk and compliance at Vertex Financial Services. Prior to that, Richard was company secretary and head of legal with Tribal Group plc, Blick plc and Aggregate Industries plc.

Senior management

In addition to the Directors, key members of the senior management team include the following:

David Tutton
Managing Director, Triton

David joined Triton at the beginning of 2014 as Business Development Director.

David Tutton

Managing Director, Triton

David joined Triton at the beginning of 2014 as Business Development Director, initially working to identify and develop international and product opportunities for the business before being appointed Managing Director in July 2015. He has spent nearly 20 years in a variety of commercial and marketing leadership positions across the bathroom and kitchen industry, including 15 years in the Jacuzzi Group. David is a graduate of the University of Huddersfield having studied business and finance.

Jim Williams
Managing Director, Vado

Jim joined Vado in 1999 with responsibility for the development of export sales.

Jim Williams

Managing Director, Vado

Jim joined Vado in 1999 with responsibility for the development of export sales and was appointed to the Board as Sales Director in 2006 before becoming Managing Director in 2011. He has been involved in all areas of the business, driving the redevelopment of the product portfolio, brand identity and sourcing, sales and channel strategies. Jim has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Bath and held positions in management consulting and purchasing.

Stephen Dixon
Managing Director, Johnson Tiles

Stephen is both a Chartered Accountant and a qualified engineer.

Stephen Dixon

Managing Director, Johnson Tiles

Stephen is both a Chartered Accountant and a qualified engineer. He gained his electrical and electronic engineering degree from Imperial College London before moving into accountancy practice with Grant Thornton. Following successful spells in both audit and corporate finance, Stephen moved into retail with B&M Bargains before joining Johnson Tiles in 1998. Stephen's career at Johnson Tiles has included time as Finance Director and Marketing Director, before becoming Managing Director in 2008.

Richard Wallis
Managing Director, Norcros Adhesives

Richard is a qualified engineer with an MBA from Lancaster University.

Richard Wallis

Managing Director, Norcros Adhesives

Richard is a qualified engineer with an MBA from Lancaster University. Previously with Brett Martin Roofing Products initially as operations director before promotion to managing director in 2001 and leading the acquisition of a major competitor. Before joining Norcros in 2013 he was managing director of an aluminium glazing business and led the start-up of a new business in the solar energy market.

Nick McGrellis
Managing Director, Croydex

Nick joined Croydex as Managing Director in 2007.

Nick McGrellis

Managing Director, Croydex

Nick joined Croydex as Managing Director in 2007 with the clear objective to grow the business and repeat the success he achieved in his position as managing director at A & J Gummers, where he grew the brand prior to its sale to Masco Corporation. His extensive experience has been gained through positions in the bathroom sector throughout his career, including with a national distributor and commercial and domestic shower valve manufacturer. Committed to innovation and technology, Nick is also passionate about his involvement and commitment to the Bathroom Manufacturers Association and was key to the implementation and launch of the Water Label Scheme.

Thomas Willcocks
Managing Director, Norcros SA (Pty) Ltd

Thomas Willcocks joined Tile Africa as Store Development Manager in 2006.

Thomas Willcocks

Managing Director, Norcros SA (Pty) Ltd

Thomas Willcocks joined Tile Africa as Store Development Manager in 2006. In 2007 he was promoted to General Manager of Tile Africa before being appointed as Managing Director of Norcros South Africa in 2009. Thomas previously worked for the Spar Group in South Africa and the UK. He grew up in Swaziland and was educated in South Africa where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Natal.

Darren Holliday
Managing Director, Abode

Darren founded Abode in 2002, and was involved in all areas of the new business.

Darren Holliday

Managing Director, Abode

Darren founded Abode in 2002, and was involved in all areas of the new business start-up, including product development & sourcing, finance, brand creation, logistics and sales management and today retains a keen product development focus. Darren is a trained marketeer, with a Business Administration degree, and post graduate qualifications in Market Research and Strategic Marketing. Darren has worked within the kitchen & bathrooms industry since graduation in a number of management roles in the UK, US, Europe and Asia, where he was based for a number of years.

Charlie Soden
Managing Director, Merlyn

Charlie joined Merlyn as Managing Director in 2010.

Charlie Soden

Managing Director, Merlyn

Charlie joined Merlyn as Managing Director in 2010. His sector experience and leadership skills have led the team from a turnover of £11m to over £30m today, across existing and new channels. Prior to Merlyn, Charlie spent 25 years at Heatmerchants, Tubs & Tiles and Wolseley Ireland, a subsidiary of Wolseley UK, where he held a variety of management roles, achieving Deputy MD, prior to his departure to join Merlyn. During his time with Wolseley Ireland, Heatmerchants were awarded with two special recognition awards at Wolseley Global conferences for customer service and profit growth. Charlie is committed to product innovation and excellent customer service - he believes that the customer should have a positive experience from the start to the end of the Merlyn journey.