Non-Executive Chairman
Lykele van der Broek
Appointed
October 2017 (Non-Executive Director)
January 2018 (Non-Executive Chairman)
Background and experience
Lykele retired as a Member of the Board of Management of Bayer CropScience, a division of Bayer AG, in 2014, being responsible for the commercialisation of innovative agricultural products and services globally. Prior to this, he held senior international roles including the Head of Bayer CropScience’s BioScience division and President of the Bayer HealthCare Animal Health division.
Committee membership
- AIM Compliance Committee (Chairman)
- Nominations Committee (Chairman)
- Remunerations Committee (Chairman)
- Audit Committee
External appointments
- Genus plc (Non-Executive Director) – retired 22 November 2023
Chief Executive Officer
Sean Smith
Appointed
September 2014
Background and experience
Sean has a bachelors degree in microbiology and over 25 years of experience in the speciality chemicals and industrial biotechnology industries. He has held senior commercial leadership roles ranging from sales and marketing to business management and intellectual property licensing in blue chip companies such as Ciba (now BASF) and Honeywell. In recent years, Sean has focussed on technology commercialization through licensing and company formation working with Intellectual Ventures and several start-ups.
Committee membership
None
External appointments
None
Chief Financial Officer
Alex Abrey
Appointed
September 2007
Background and experience
Alex, a Chartered Certified Accountant, joined the Board in September 2007, having been Chief Accountant to Eden for the previous four years. He has acted as Financial Director to a diverse range of businesses including a financial and management consultancy business based in Oxfordshire, a medical waste management company and an intellectual property licensee involved in plastics manufacturing. Alex has over 20 years’ experience in both practice and industry.
Committee membership
None
External appointments
Ricewood Ltd (Director)
Non-Executive Director
Robin Cridland
Appointed
May 2015
Background and experience
Until recently, Rob served as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of Itaconix plc. He joined Itaconix in September 2008 from Renovo Group plc where he spent seven years as Executive Director of Finance and Business Development. He began his career at Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte, before moving on to senior transactional roles at Enskilda Securities and senior finance and transactional roles at GlaxoWellcome and GlaxoSmithKline. He was also a Governor and a Non-Executive Director of Cheadle Hulme School, Cheshire.
Committee membership
- Audit Committee (Chairman)
- Nominations Committee
- AIM Compliance Committee
- Remuneration Committee
External appointments
- RJSC Family Limited (Director)
Non-Executive Director
Derek McAllan
Appointed
May 2024
Background and experience
Derek is currently a Partner of RSM UK, a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services in the UK, where he is responsible for business development and client service across a portfolio of companies. Prior to his move to RSM UK in 2020, Derek acted as an audit Partner at KPMG for seventeen years during which he had a significant number of life science clients including some with which he worked from their inception to ultimate exit/IPO and beyond (including listings on NASDAQ, AIM, and trade sales).
Committee membership
- Audit Committee (Chairman)
- Nominations Committee
- AIM Compliance Committee
- Remuneration Committee
External appointments
- RSM UK Consulting LLP (LLP Member)
- RSM UK Tax and advisory services LLP (LLP Member)
- Jouldings Holdings (Non- Statutory Non-Executive Director)