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The Board of Directors currently comprises the Chairman, three independent Non-Executive Directors and two Executive Directors all supported by the Company Secretary.

Aleen Gulvanessian
Chair

Aleen was a corporate partner at Eversheds Sutherland for 30 years before stepping down in May 2019 to become a Consultant on Boards and Governance matters. Aleen is an experienced corporate lawyer who has advised private and quoted UK companies (including cross border transactions) across a range of sectors.

Her areas of focus have been mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate finance transactions and reorganisations, as well as general boardroom and governance advice for quoted companies. Aleen is a member of the Governance Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, to which she was appointed in June 2019.

She was Chair of the Macfarlane Group Remuneration Committee from 1 October 2021, before becoming Chair of the Board on 1 October 2022.

Ivor Gray
Group Finance Director

Ivor is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and has been with the Group since 1996. He was appointed Finance Director on 1 January 2021.  Ivor was with KPMG for six years before joining Macfarlane Group in 1996.

Bob McLellan
Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director

Bob joined the Board on 5 March 2013. Bob was Chief Executive of DS Smith Packaging UK until 2011, latterly as Deputy CEO Packaging (UK and Continental Europe).

He has spent many years working in the packaging sector and has held leading roles in both the UK and Continental European industry employer associations. He is currently Chairman of the Logson Group and a non-executive director of Swanline Print Limited. Bob chaired the Remuneration Committee until 31 August 2018 when he was appointed as the Group’s Senior Independent Director. He is a member of the Nominations, Remuneration and Audit Committees.

Peter Atkinson
Chief Executive

Peter joined Macfarlane Group as Chief Executive on 6 October 2003. He has a strong sales and marketing background through his career at Procter & Gamble and S.C. Johnson.

Peter also has significant general management experience gained during his time at GKN PLC and its joint venture partners where he worked from 1988 to 2001 in a number of senior executive roles in their business-to-business operations.

He has a successful track record of both business turnarounds and business development with extensive exposure to international business, having worked in the UK, Europe and the USA.

James Macdonald
Company Secretary

James is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and joined the Group in 2020. He was appointed Company Secretary on 1 January 2021. James previously worked at The Weir Group PLC and PwC.

James Baird
Non-Executive Director

James joined the Board on 8 January 2018. James previously led the Scotland and Northern Ireland business of Deloitte, the global accountancy firm, before becoming Managing Partner of its Audit & Risk Advisory division and Chief Operating Officer, both in Switzerland. An experienced auditor and advisor who has worked with companies in the UK and Europe across a range of industries, he is currently an Honorary Professor at Glasgow University’s Adam Smith Business School and a member of the Strategy and Research Advisory Group of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. James was appointed as chair of the Audit Committee on his appointment on 8 January 2018 and is a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committees.

Laura Whyte
Remuneration Committee Chair

Laura joined the Board on 1 October 2022, as Remuneration Committee Chair.  Laura had a long-standing career at John Lewis where she served on the Management Board for over ten years, latterly as HR Director.  She led several business initiatives in support of retailing, with a particular focus on the customer experience.

Since 2014 she has worked as a non-executive director with several organisations.  Her roles include Capital and Regional plc where she chairs the Remuneration and ESG Committees and is a member of the Audit and Nominations Committees, The British Horseracing Authority and the Old Naval College Greenwich.

Aleen Gulvanessian
Chair

Aleen was a corporate partner at Eversheds Sutherland for 30 years before stepping down in May 2019 to become a Consultant on Boards and Governance matters. Aleen is an experienced corporate lawyer who has advised private and quoted UK companies (including cross border transactions) across a range of sectors.

Her areas of focus have been mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate finance transactions and reorganisations, as well as general boardroom and governance advice for quoted companies. Aleen is a member of the Governance Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, to which she was appointed in June 2019.

She was Chair of the Macfarlane Group Remuneration Committee from 1 October 2021, before becoming Chair of the Board on 1 October 2022.

Peter Atkinson
Chief Executive

Peter joined Macfarlane Group as Chief Executive on 6 October 2003. He has a strong sales and marketing background through his career at Procter & Gamble and S.C. Johnson.

Peter also has significant general management experience gained during his time at GKN PLC and its joint venture partners where he worked from 1988 to 2001 in a number of senior executive roles in their business-to-business operations.

He has a successful track record of both business turnarounds and business development with extensive exposure to international business, having worked in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Ivor Gray
Group Finance Director

Ivor is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and has been with the Group since 1996. He was appointed Finance Director on 1 January 2021.  Ivor was with KPMG for six years before joining Macfarlane Group in 1996.

James Macdonald
Company Secretary

James is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and joined the Group in 2020. He was appointed Company Secretary on 1 January 2021. James previously worked at The Weir Group PLC and PwC.

Bob McLellan
Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director

Bob joined the Board on 5 March 2013. Bob was Chief Executive of DS Smith Packaging UK until 2011, latterly as Deputy CEO Packaging (UK and Continental Europe).

He has spent many years working in the packaging sector and has held leading roles in both the UK and Continental European industry employer associations. He is currently Chairman of the Logson Group and a non-executive director of Swanline Print Limited. Bob chaired the Remuneration Committee until 31 August 2018 when he was appointed as the Group’s Senior Independent Director. He is a member of the Nominations, Remuneration and Audit Committees.

James Baird
Non-Executive Director

James joined the Board on 8 January 2018. James previously led the Scotland and Northern Ireland business of Deloitte, the global accountancy firm, before becoming Managing Partner of its Audit & Risk Advisory division and Chief Operating Officer, both in Switzerland. An experienced auditor and advisor who has worked with companies in the UK and Europe across a range of industries, he is currently an Honorary Professor at Glasgow University’s Adam Smith Business School and a member of the Strategy and Research Advisory Group of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. James was appointed as chair of the Audit Committee on his appointment on 8 January 2018 and is a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committees.

Laura Whyte
Remuneration Committee Chair

Laura joined the Board on 1 October 2022, as Remuneration Committee Chair.  Laura had a long-standing career at John Lewis where she served on the Management Board for over ten years, latterly as HR Director.  She led several business initiatives in support of retailing, with a particular focus on the customer experience.

Since 2014 she has worked as a non-executive director with several organisations.  Her roles include Capital and Regional plc where she chairs the Remuneration and ESG Committees and is a member of the Audit and Nominations Committees, The British Horseracing Authority and the Old Naval College Greenwich.

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