Chairman Jon Richards studied mathematics before embarking on a life long career in IT beginning as a programmer with GEC. After early business success in a computer systems house, he has become the CEO of a public company and later chaired a UK government body. Jon now holds a number of chairmanships in software businesses in the testing and travel sectors. Both as a chief executive and as a chairman in the IT industry, Jon has led numerous fund-raising, exits, acquisitions and mergers. This is his third successful venture with the TestPlant chief executive. Jon lives in Hampshire with his family and a decent golf handicap.
Chief Executive Officer and President George Mackintosh read business and economics at the University of Edinburgh still retaining a link there through his role as an entrepreneur in residence. George worked in manufacturing for Ford in Dagenham before moving to the telecommunication’s industry. He has raised money to build businesses in the UK, USA and Hong Kong and managed their sale and integration into major telcos. At home in London, George is an ageing semi-pro racing driver with a gardening habit.
Non Executive Director David Harrison is an engineering graduate with a distinguished career in the software testing industry. He was the EMEA General Manager of Mercury Interactive, now part of HP. He led the European business through a period of rapid growth before it’s sale to HP for $4.6billion. David now is a senior business consultant working with high growth businesses in the technology sector. As a board member, David brings highly relevant industry experience and contacts. David lives in Surrey and aspires to reach the chairman’s golf handicap.
Non Executive Director Paul Thomas is a physics graduate and a chartered accountant, with over 25 years of private equity experience including 19 with ECI, the London based mid-market buy-out house. He is currently Managing Director of Pi Capital, a unique investor network of some of the UK’s most successful and influential business leaders. Paul is also a Managing Partner of Seraphim Capital, a £30million venture capital fund that helped to establish TestPlant in 2008. Having teenage children at home in London, Paul aspires to get out more.
Chief Financial Officer Chris Verdin is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in London. He then held treasury and risk management roles in major banks before his move into the technology sector. In a number of software and services businesses he has played pivotal roles in fund raising, MBOs, M&A activities and patent litigation. Chris enjoys life in London with his young family and boasts of his culinary abilities.
Chief Development Officer Jonathan Gillaspie was in 2002 a co-inventor of eggPlant. He is a computer scientist and career developer with a degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Jonathan had previously designed and developed systems in media and entertainment applications. His frustration with traditional manual testing encouraged him to build eggPlant along entirely innovative lines. Jonathan heads the team in the Boulder development center. He lives in his home state of Colorado with his children and wife, a sweetheart from his alma mater.
Chief Sales Officer Richard Ward is an engineering graduate from Bath University. In 2009, he joined TestPlant and has since been promoted through the sales ranks, consistently over-achieving at every level. He spent a significant amount of time in the US directing TestPlant’s expansion into defence and security industry sectors. He was appointed as Sales Director in early 2011 and began to build a sales team in the UK, the USA and more recently in Asia. He now lives in London, nursing a curious love of old Land Rovers.
Chief Technology Officer Antony Edwards studied computer engineering at the University of South Wales, Australia. He worked as a developer in Sydney before joining IBM Research at the facilities in New York State. Moving to London, Antony joined mobile operating system builder Symbian, moving from system architecture to eventually become a VP and member of the executive team. More recently he held the position of CTO with a major US on-line entertainment company. Australian born Antony lives in London with his Swiss wife and bi-lingual child.
Chairman of the TestPlant Technology Advisory Board. John Varney currently runs his own consultancy, Maximum Clarity, supporting public and private sector bodies with a wide range of technology issues. His previous roles include global Chief Technology Officer for the BBC and Director of Technology for Granada plc. In these roles John oversaw the launch of DTT in 7 of the 13 ITV Regions and managed the development of a range of new BBC digital services and its R&D division. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Television Society. When he has some time, his passions are photography, gardening and the history of Victorian Britain.
