Stephen Welton – Director (Chairman)

Stephen Welton  is a senior member of CCMP Capital. Immediately prior to joining CCMP in 2002, he was Chairman and CEO of TV Travel Shop, the market leading television distribution business in the UK and Germany, which he built up before successfully selling it to USA Interactive Inc. From 1995 to 1999, Stephen was Managing Director UK of Barclays Private Equity. Prior to that, he co-founded a private equity fund for Henderson Administration. He started his career in the debt and mezzanine market with Security Pacific Eurofinance. Mr. Welton has a law degree from Durham University and is a qualified Barrister-at-Law. He serves on the board of directors of Waco International as well as Edwards.

Greg Brenneman - Investor/Director

Greg Brenneman is Chairman of CCMP Capital and a member of the firm’s investment committee, and most recently served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Quiznos, one of America’s fastest-growing quick service restaurant chains. Prior to this he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Burger King where he led the turnaround of the company. He is probably best known for his involvement in the turnaround of Continental Airlines as President, COO and Board member. In 2002 he was president and CEO of PwC Consulting and led its strategic sale to IBM. Mr. Brenneman holds a Masters of Business Administration degree with distinction from Harvard Business School and a Bachelors Administration of Business in Accounting/Finance, summa cum laude from Washburn University of Topeka, Kansas. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Commerce degree from Washburn University.

Chris Bradley – Chief Financial Officer

Chris Bradley is Chief Financial Officer of Edwards.  Prior to joining Edwards in April 2002, Chris was the CFO of Madge Networks, a Nasdaq-listed computer networking company. Between 1989 and 1996, Chris worked for Nortel Networks as finance director for a number of businesses based in the UK, North America and China. He was also Director – Financial Planning for the Nortel group based in Toronto, Canada. Chris previously held finance roles at 3M, Digital Computers and The Hearst Corporation.  Chris holds a BSc Economics from Southampton University and is an associate of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Jim Gentilcore – Non-Executive Director

Jim Gentilcore brings 30 years of  technology industry leadership to the board.  He has significant experience in growing technology companies, mergers and acquisitions in the public and private sector and post merger integration. Jim is currently the CEO of EPAC Technologies Inc, a leader in supply chain automation for the book publishing industry. Prior to that, Jim was the CEO of Helix Technology Corporation, and led its strategic merger with Brooks Automation in 2005, where he continued as COO of the combined company.  After the integration of Brooks and Helix, he lead the company’s acquisition of Synetics, a U.S. subsidiary of a large Japanese Automation company and then spearheaded a Japanese based joint venture with that company.  His global experience includes several Asian based joint ventures and acquisitions and many US -based technology acquisitions. Jim holds an MBA. from Lehigh University and a BS in Engineering from Drexel University.

Nigel Hunton – Chief Executive Officer

Nigel Hunton joined the BOC Group in 1985 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of BOC Edwards in October 2006. Nigel successfully led the transition of Edwards from The BOC Group to The Linde Group and then the sale to CCMP Capital.

Before being appointed Edwards CEO, Nigel  held several key management positions in BOC. These included international assignments in the US and Asia (Japan and Korea), where he developed a deep understanding of international business and cultures, whilst gaining experience in operations, marketing, and project management.

As managing director of BOC’s European Process Gas Solutions business, he was responsible for restructuring the business and leading growth and profit improvement in a declining market. He also drove significant growth in BOC’s global cryogenic equipment business, Cryostar.

Nigel has a strong interest in the environment. Nigel was an executive director of the BOC Foundation for the Environment and  is now working with former Shell chairman Lord Oxburgh as a non-executive designate for 2OC, a company introducing ‘geo-pressure’ to Britain.

Nigel is a member of the Footdown 15, a group of chief executives who challenge and encourage entrepreneurial and creative business leadership.
Nigel was born in 1960 and was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School, Liverpool, England and holds a BSc degree in mechanical engineering from Manchester University (UMIST).

John Lewis - Investor/Director

John Lewis is a Partner of Unitas Capital. Mr. Lewis is currently a director of Mando Corporation, Sensata Technologies, and KD Blue Sky Technologies Ltd as well as Edwards. Prior to joining CCMP in 1996, John was a member of Chase Manhattan Bank's Merchant Banking Group in Hong Kong for two years, where he was responsible for developing Chase's direct investment business in Asia. Previously, Mr. Lewis worked in Chase's Merchant Banking Group in New York for four years, focusing on providing debt and equity financing for leveraged acquisitions. Mr. Lewis holds a BA pi beta kappa from the University of Virginia and an MA from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Ajeet Singh - Investor/Director

Ajeet Singh is a Partner of Unitas Capital based in Hong Kong. Mr. Singh has been with Emerson for 27 years, the last 17 of which were in leadership positions in Asia-Pacific. Prior to joining Unitas, Mr. Singh was President, Asia Pacific for Emerson Network Power, a $1.5 billion business in the region. In the past, he has held this position for Emerson Climate Technologies and was President Asia-Pacific across all of Emerson's businesses. He holds a BA (Honours) in Economics from the University of Delhi, an MBA from the University of Illinois and an MS in Economics from Wright State University in Dayton Ohio.