COMMUNITY PROFILE

John Cole

Board Mentor

Criticaleye

During his non-executive career, John has been Chairman of, and investor in, a number of private and private equity backed businesses in the business services and branded products sectors.

These businesses include: Condor Group, provider of freight and passenger ferry services between the UK, Channel Islands and France; St Tropez, a brand leader in natural tanning and skin care products; TSC, the third largest UK based contact centre business; Motorclean Group, the UK’s leading car valeting business for customers in motor dealerships, car auctions and import preparation; EPCglobal, a leading global construction industry recruitment business and a joint venture between LDC and Bechtel; and SGi, an outsourced property management business.

All these businesses have been sold successfully: Condor Group was sold by ABN Amro to RBoS Debt Ventures in 2004 and then again to Macquarie in 2008; St Tropez was sold by LDC to PZ Cussons in 2010; TSC was sold by LDC to Hero Group of India in 2008; EPCglobal was sold by LDC to a US privately owned recruitment group in 2008; Motorclean Group was sold by LDC to Matrix in 2011; SGi was sold by Hg Capital to Babcock International in 2004.

John is currently Chairman of Res-Q Limited, a privately owned Hull based contact centre business.
 
John was an NED of HeroTSC for 2 years following the acquisition of TSC by the Indian Hero Group.  He also has his own business, Nestor Portfolio Services Limited, through which he provides consultancy and advisory services to businesses and individuals. His focus is on the creation of value on exit, the effectiveness of boards, the alignment of stakeholders, the development of ambition led strategies and the focus on a limited number of key strategic actions to deliver the ambition.  He also coaches senior executives or Boards, and primarily in his role as an Board Mentor of Criticaleye, he mentors senior executives of FTSE 100 and 250 companies.

Until 2001, John was CEO of Hays plc, at the time a FTSE100 Company, having previously run their worldwide logistics business.  Prior to Hays, John was CEO of Mayne Nickless Europe and Executive Director of TDG plc. In both groups he was responsible for European logistics, express freight and security businesses.  His early career was at Fisons plc, where over a period of 17 years he gained experience in numerous roles in Group HO, Industrial Chemicals and Horticulture.

In his early days he launched the ‘Gro-Bag’ in the UK garden products market and managed acquisitions in the USA and Canada which first established Fisons Horticulture in the North American market. He was a Director of the Horticulture Division for 5 years prior to moving into business services in 1987.  John has a first class degree in Economics from Sheffield University and attended the Senior Executive Programme at London Business School. He is a Criticaleye Board Mentor.