Board members

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Corporate Board

Lord Hutton

Chair, Make UK

Lord Hutton was appointed as Chair of Make UK (EEF Ltd) in April 2022.

Lord Hutton has extensive background in business and industry having served as Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, as well as Secretary of State for Defence. Between 2012 and 2018 he was Chair of the Nuclear Industries Association and, most recently, Chair of Energy UK.

He was elected to Parliament as MP Barrow in Furness in 1992 and was made a Life Peer in 2010 having retired from Parliament.

Stephen Phipson

Chief Executive Officer, Make UK

Stephen Phipson CBE has been the Chief Executive of Make UK since joining in 2017.

Stephen previously spent 5 years as a senior civil servant holding the position of Head of the Defence and Security Organisation within the Department for International trade delivering export support to UK defence and security businesses and prior to this Stephen held the position of Director for Security Industry Engagement within the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism at the Home Office.

Before serving in the UK Government Stephen spent 35 years in senior roles in the manufacturing industry including 15 years with Smiths Group plc as President of Smiths Detection where he was awarded a CBE in 2010 for services to the Security industry. Stephen has worked extensively abroad in high technology manufacturing businesses and started his career as an engineering apprentice with the Plessey company.

Richard Greenway

Chief Financial Officer, Make UK

Richard joined Make UK in May 2012 as Financial Controller, progressing to Finance Director (non-board position) in 2015 and joined the Executive & Corporate Boards in March 2020 as Chief Financial Officer.

He is responsible for the long term financial strategy and governance aspects at Make UK as well as overall responsibility for property & facilities management.

Richard is a qualified Chartered Accountant (FCA) having qualified at mid-tier UHY Hacker Young in London.
He has since held a variety of roles within the services sector, notably within technology, media and professional services businesses, most recently leading commercial support and procurement initiatives at the law firm Eversheds.

Brian Holliday

Managing Director, Siemens Plc

Brian Holliday is a member of the Executive Management Board of Siemens plc and Managing Director for Siemens Digital Industries, which serves the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. He is also Chairman of Siemens Industry Software UK.

He is a supervisory board member for the High Value Manufacturing Catapult in addition to being a main board member for Make UK, the Manufacturers’ Organisation.

A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology,
Brian started his career with Texas Instruments and went on to read Computer Systems at Cardiff University before joining Siemens, the global leader in electrification, automation and digitalisation in 1993.

Ed Jones

Non-Executive Director of Make UK

As a Non-Executive Director & Business Advisor, Ed helps growth focused SME’s to transform their businesses.

He is currently Non-Executive Board Trustee of Now: Pensions (and Audit Chair), Chair of the Colgate-Palmolive UK Pension Plan and Chair of the Boarding Schools Association. He is also strategic advisor to a £6 million turnover marketing AI business.

Ed was Carnival UK CFO (02-18) and a key member of the management team who quadrupled the size of the P&O Cruises and Cunard Line businesses to turnover of £1.5bn. He led the strategic process, focused on driving business performance and has strong experience of leading significant business and organisational change.

He is a chartered accountant and as Head of Corporate Finance, P&O and SVP, Group Finance, P&O Princess Cruises plc (94-02), gained M&A, JV and treasury experience.

Robin Fletcher

CEO of BSA Group

Chief Executive of the London-based BSA Group, comprising the BSA (Boarding Schools’ Association), SACPA (Safeguarding and Child Protection Association) and BAISIS (British Association of Independent Schools with International Students) Boarding Schools’ Association. The BSA is the trade body for more than 500 state and independent boarding schools in the UK and around 75 overseas. The BSA is responsible for marketing boarding, research, government and media relations, conferences, events and professional development. It also leads on safeguarding for the boarding sector. Robin works closely with government departments, including the Department for Education, the Home Office and the MOD, and sit on the committee of the Boarding Schools Partnership, led by schools’ minister Lord Agnew.

Ben Fletcher

Chief Operating Officer, Make UK

Ben Fletcher is Make UK’s Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for the organisation’s external relations, digital and media work, policy and government activity and their membership activity around the country. He also oversees delivery of their legal and safety businesses and their commercial, sales and marketing teams.

Prior to Make UK Ben spent 25 years in national and local Government. This covered senior policy roles in DWP and the Home Office including leadership of the Home Secretary’s Strategic Policy Team. Ben was one of the senior team that delivered the successful London 2012 Olympic Security Operation and subsequently established an international export programme supporting British firms who were part of 2012 delivery win new export orders in countries staging global events. Immediately prior to joining Make UK Ben was Director of Communication, Marketing and Strategy at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the largest and most successful urban regeneration programme in Europe.

Ann Watson

Non-Executive Director, Make UK

Ann has been the Chief Executive of Semta Group (now Enginuity) since 2015 and works strategically with engineering employers to identify and develop solutions to the many skills challenges within the sector. As part of her role Ann represents employer views to Government departments and stakeholders such as the Institute for Apprenticeships to ensure that skills policy reflects the needs of engineering sector employers. With over 20 years of experience in the skills and engineering sectors, Ann has a unique breadth and depth of knowledge, developed through a variety of senior roles in relevant organisations.

Fiona Morris

Independent, Non-Executive Director, Make UK

Fiona is an independent consultant and experienced Human Resources leader, change champion and qualified Accountant (ACMA), with a background in international Blue Chip FMCG companies including Cargill, Kraft (now Mondelez) and Motorola.

A trusted strategic partner and coach having worked with numerous MDs, boards and leadership teams across all functions in business during her career, she particularly enjoys change and transformation projects which deliver improved leadership, talent or business performance whether these be organisational or cultural. Now operating as an independent consultant she is working with a number of businesses and charities utilising her extensive experience in this field. Fiona is also Trustee for Gloucestershire Learning Alliance and Non Executive Director with Policy Connect.

James Greenham

Managing Director of EMS Physio Ltd

Member Representative Director, Non-Executive Director, Make UK

James Greenham is managing director of EMS Physio Ltd, a family owned SME manufacturing company based in Oxfordshire which was started in London in 1924 by his grandfather. The company manufactures physiotherapy equipment such as ultrasound, electrical stimulators, shortwave diathermy and shockwave units. The company exports 70% of its business overseas through a network of distributors in the EU, Middle East, Asia (including mainland China) and North America.

James gained a BA (Hons) Business Studies degree from Leeds Polytechnic and pursued a career in design, marketing and event management for a number of years before joining the family company.

He has a passion for the SME sector, experience of export issues and an appreciation of regulatory concerns.

Executive Board

Stephen Phipson

Chief Executive Officer, Make UK

Stephen Phipson CBE has been the Chief Executive of Make UK since joining in 2017.

Richard Greenway

Chief Financial Officer, Make UK

Richard joined Make UK in May 2012 as Financial Controller, progressing to Finance Director (non-board position) in 2015 and joined the Executive & Corporate Boards in March 2020.

He is responsible for the long term financial strategy and governance aspects at Make UK as well as overall responsibility for property & facilities management.

Ben Fletcher

Chief Operating Officer, Make UK

Ben Fletcher is Make UK’s Chief Operating Officer. Ben leads Make UK’s sales, marketing and communications activity as well as leading Make UK’s representation work across the manufacturing and engineering sectors to key audiences in government, politics and the media across the UK and internationally, including at the EU.

Ben also has responsibility for leading Make UK’s policy development work. This key area of the business ensures that members and the sector have access to detailed analysis of key legislative and regulatory developments, and provides a powerful voice into government, ensuring the sector has a strong role in shaping policy.

Ben joined Make UK from the London Legacy Development Corporation where he was Director of Communication, Marketing and Strategy for the largest and most successful urban regeneration programme in Europe.

Ben’s previous career spanned over 20 years in the civil service. This included leading the Home Secretary’s Strategic Policy Team, managing the 2012 Olympic Security communications programme, and establishing the Security Industry Engagement team in the Home Office and leading an international marketing campaign on behalf of British industry, successfully creating commercial opportunities in Olympic host cities such as Rio and Tokyo.

Gareth Stace

Director General, UK Steel

Gareth became Director General of UK Steel in April 2015. Gareth has acted as the voice of the sector, during the 2015-16 steel crisis and beyond. He has clearly set out to government, MPs and the media, the steps which need to be taken to give the British steel sector a chance to compete on a level playing field, within the global marketplace.

Gareth began his career in manufacturing, first representing the milk processing industry on environment and climate change and then joining EEF in 2007, as Head of Climate & Environment Policy. Gareth is also the Executive Director of ISSB (International Steel Statistics Bureau). ISSB is uniquely placed within the global market to deliver Import/export/trade flows and related prices information from 70 Countries’ data within the metals sector.

Gareth also chairs the Manufacturers’ Climate Change Group, which represents carbon intensive sectors, including cement, ceramics, glass, paper, steel and chemicals. He also chairs the BEIS Green Economy Council Energy Intensive Industry Sub Group.

Gareth graduated from Kings College London with a degree in Environmental Science and is a Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment

Matthew Corkan

Executive Director of Human Resources, Make UK

In December 2019, after 20 years with Make UK, Matthew was appointed as Executive Director of Human Resources. Matthew has been leading Make UK’s HR work since 2008 acting in various roles reporting to the former HR Board Director, and then to the Chief Operating Officer Board member from 2015.

Matthew joined Make UK in 1999 as a HR & Legal Adviser providing HR, industrial relations and employment law advice in addition to training services for East Midlands members. As National HR Manager in 2008, Matthew was an integral part of the team that led the cultural evolution from the Regional Associations in becoming a centralised and national thinking organisation, as the body for UK manufacturing.

Before Make UK, Matthew started his HR career with British Telecom in 1987. Spending the following decade as a HR Manager within manufacturing sector and industry at Panasonic and Blue Circle Heating Group.

Matthew has a Masters in HRM and is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development [CIPD].

Jenny McMillan

Director of Performance and Operations

Jenny McMillan is Make UK’s Company Secretary and Business Performance Director. Jenny leads our corporate governance, including the company’s legal and regulatory compliance. Jenny also has responsibility for business performance, including strategic oversight of the performance and operations of our Health, Safety & Sustainability business services.

Jenny graduated King’s College London with an LLB Law. Her career spans the public and charitable sectors with roles across HM Government, Old Royal Naval College and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. During a decade at the heart of Government she worked directly with Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers including as Private Secretary to the Home Secretary. She was awarded an OBE in 2011 for her work at the Cabinet Office.

Helen Bowler

Commercial Director, Make UK

Helen Bowler is Make UK’s Commercial Director responsible for sales, marketing and retention. Helen, and her team, hold the commercial relationships with members, suppliers and strategic partners. She is responsible for Make UK’s long term sales growth strategy.

Helen joined Make UK as a key account director in 2014, progressing to Head of Key Accounts before being appointed the Commercial Director in 2019. She has an excellent insight into clients, their businesses, and their current and future priorities.

After graduating Helen joined the police force before moving into a sales career. She is now a skilled and experienced sales and marketing expert having previously led commercial teams from a wide range of industries, including tech, business services and print.