Leadership

Angela Smith has held senior human resources management roles with both Virgin Management Ltd and Granada Hotels & Leisure. Following this, Angela had her own consultancy firm, providing strategic human resources advice to organisations and entrepreneurial businesses. Angela was also a non-executive director for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust (Stepping Hill Hospital & Community Health Services for Stockport) and continues in a non-executive role for PossAbilities

Charlie Geller is a communications professional with approximately 20 years’ experience spanning investor relations, corporate broking and public relations. He joined the Group in 2018 from Newgate Communications, where he was a director and co-head of the financial communications practice. Prior to that, Charlie worked for public relations agencies Tavistock Communications and WMC Communications (which became part of Bell Pottinger). He also worked in equity sales for a natural resources-focused investment bank.

Matthew Joy is a corporate commercial lawyer with over 30 years of experience.  He spent his first years in practice with Linklaters, the magic circle law firm, specialising in international finance. He then had a spell in private equity investment through Nomura International’s Private Finance Group, before   spending 10 years as a corporate lawyer in the entertainment industry. Prior to joining Esken, Matthew was Group General Counsel and Company Secretary for Low & Bonar, the international performance materials business, for 13 years.

John Cawrey has been the Group’s IT Director since May 2019. He initially held operational management positions in the hotel and leisure sector in the 1990s, which led to financial analysis and systems development roles. After 10 years providing outsourced services to small and medium enterprises, he joined Practice Plan. Following the sale of the business, a period followed working as a fractional IT Director with clients in the hospitality, legal and personal finance sectors.