Our Board

Jan Ward

Chair

Jan is a business leader with an impressive track record of guiding high-performing businesses across a wide range of industries. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving operational improvements and building a reputation for excellence in service delivery.

With over 35 years of international experience in both the public and private sectors, Jan brings a wealth of expertise from various industries, including her mechanical engineering background and work in marine engineering. Currently, she sits on the boards of Red Penguin Marine Ltd as a Non-Executive Director and serves as Chair of Calculus VCT PLC, Millers Oils Ltd, Optoma Holdings Ltd, and Plymouth and South Devon Freeport. From 2009 to 2023, Jan has also held positions as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of nine other companies.

Her major achievements include turning around loss-making companies by driving organizational restructuring and delivering operating profits. Jan has mentored numerous companies and strengthened relationships between organizations and stakeholders. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a graduate member of the Institute of Export.

Neil Edmond

CEO

Neil is a business leader with an impressive track record of leading high performing business across a broad range of industries.

Neil was previously the CEO of the Government Facilities Services Ltd (GFSL), a government owned company that provides estates and facilities management services to the prison estate in the South of England. His leadership there was instrumental in driving operational improvements and enhancing the business reputation for excellence in service delivery. 

Born and raised in Cornwall, Neil’s career has spanned a number of major international and major companies including ExxonMobil, BT and Mace, where he spent successful years in various roles across the UK and internationally. 

Paul Cooper

Director of Resources

Paul joined the Group as Interim Finance Director in August 2022. Working initially in practice, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, Paul has spent most of his career in the NHS, working at Director level in NHS Trusts across Devon and Cornwall. He has a wealth of experience, not only in financial management, but also in performance management, governance, analytics and information management, programme management and change delivery. During his NHS career, Paul led a range of major change programmes - some of the biggest to health and care system delivery across the two counties in recent years - and will use that experience to support the Group to deliver its transformation agenda in the coming years.

Julia Gregory

Senior Independent Director

Julia is a Non-Executive and Senior Independent Director, Chair, and Trustee with almost three decades of fostering unprecedented growth for private, public, and charitable organisations through strategic leadership and transformational change. Her career has been focussed in leading the development and delivery of key infrastructure across the highways, real-estate, and aviation sectors. She spent her executive career working with global companies such as BAA, Ferrovial and GIP, as well as driving forward major Government Projects such as the new Garden City.

Her career has demonstrated a strong focus on driving results to improve commerciality, performance, customer service, quality and safety. Julia is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (CIHT).  Julia is also currently a Non Executive Director for Gateway 14 Ltd and  Milton Keynes Development Company, a NED and Chair of the Renumeration and ESG Committee at This Land and as well as Chairperson for Hone-Start Hertfordshire. Julia has acted as expert Judge for the National Construction Awards for over 8 years and in 2023 co-founded the InfraNED network for women NED’s in infrastructure, real estate and construction.

In 2022, Julia was awarded a lifetime achievement award for Women in Business.

Dr Simon Ashby

Non-Executive Director

Dr Simon Ashby is Professor of Financial Services and Risk Management at Vlerick Business School, Belgium. Simon has worked as an academic, a financial regulator and a senior operational risk manager in a number of UK financial institutions. He is an expert in risk management, corporate finance and governance and provides training and consultancy services in these areas. Simon is a Fellow and former Chairman of the Institute of Operational Risk and a Director (until March 2022) and past Audit and Risk Committee Chair of Plymouth Community Homes. Simon lives in North Cornwall with his wife Alison and several chickens. They enjoy long walks around the Cornish coast, sea swimming and body boarding and growing as much of their own food as possible.

Jane Milligan

Non-Executive Director

Jane has held executive Board level roles in the NHS and is a public service leader with extensive, strategic, commissioning and operational experience and track record of working in complex and diverse health and social care systems.  Non-executive experience has included working in not-for-profit organisations in areas of health inequalities across housing, education and regeneration delivering transformation change programmes, performance improvements and people strategies with focus on development of inclusive culture and workforce development.

Jane’s career has a focused on addressing the wider determinants of health, often working with vulnerable communities and wider stakeholders in local authorities, local businesses, housing and education, with an emphasis on the provision of high-quality health care, good housing, jobs and aspiration for communities.

Matt Johnson

Non-Executive Director

Matt is currently employed as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Services Group (CSG), the largest local authority trading company (LATCO) in the UK. Matt is a customer focused and results driven Group CEO, Chair and Non-Executive Director with a proven track record in successfully leading complex, multi-sector organisations. Matt has led and developed diverse businesses under both public sector and private equity ownership whilst delivering both significant organic and inorganic growth domestically and internationally, including acquisitions and is passionate about delivering excellent service and committed to driving customer, social and shareholder value through the use of modern technology and a motivated and empowered workforce.

Tony Byrne

Non-Executive Director

Tony is currently the CEO for DEBRA UK, a national charity that supports individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). He has held numerous senior management positions in various industries, including catering, facilities management, hotels and retail. He has also held non-executive positions in the charity, not for profit and commercial sectors many of which were involved in supporting children and young people. He has worked primarily in the UK but has worked internationally both in Europe and North America.

Tony holds Non-Executive Director positions for Brighter Futures for Children Ltd whose aim is to protect and enhance the lives of children in Reading and for Cumbria County Holdings Ltd and Orian Solutions Ltd, commercial companies wholly owned by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council involved in catering and cleaning.

Dominic Bostock

Divisional Director

Dominic was appointed as Cormac Highways, Environment and Civils Managing Director in February 2020. As a “results-driven” chartered engineer, Dominic has over eight years’ experience as the Commercial Director at Cormac. He thrives on inspiring multi-disciplinery teams to find solutions to challenging projects – providing the most innovative approach to help clients and stakeholders achieve their vision, particularly in the face of ever-increasing financial and budgetary constraints. 

Dominic has a strong record of attaining revenue targets, and business growth objectives within an integrated service provider, in rapidly changing environments.  As a procurement professional (member of the Chartered Institute of Purchase & Supply), he has a keen interest in supply chain development, and supplier added value.