Leeds, United Kingdom - October 14, 2014, Leeds, United Kingdom - Surgical Innovations, a manufacturer of solutions for minimally invasive surgery, announced the appointment of Chris Rea as the interim managing director.
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Mr. Rea is the Managing Director of AESSEAL, the UK’s last remaining and the world’s 4th largest mechanical seal manufacturer. He graduated from Queens University Belfast in 1975 with an Honours Degree in Economics and has spent ore than 30 years growing the business. Mr. Rea was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for South Yorkshire in 2011 and was elected FIMechE in December 2012.
Mike Thornton continues as Finance Director and Company Secretary of Surgical Innovations and will also act as CEO of Surgical Innovations Ltd.
Mr. Thornton is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He joined the Group in December 2011 as Finance Director of the main trading subsidiary and was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of the Group in May 2012. He also acts as Company Secretary.
Mr. Thornton joined the Group from professional services firm PwC. He trained as a graduate with PwC and then progressed through to Director over a 14-year period, working in offices in Hull, Leeds and London. Whilst at PwC he primarily provided audit, due diligence and stock exchange accountancy services to a wide range of clients across the Yorkshire region.
Colin Glass and Ray Simkins step down as Non-Executive Directors of Surgical Innovations with immediate effect.
Mr. Glass, a member of Audit Committee (Chairman) and Remuneration Committee, is a Chartered Accountant and a partner in Winburn Glass Norfolk. He is a founder Director of Surgical Innovations Limited and was instrumental in securing early funding and in the reverse takeover of Haemocell plc in 1998, which resulted in the quotation of the Company on AIM.
Mr. Glass is a Non-executive Director of several companies, including Straight PLC and Getech Group plc. He is the Chairman of SI’s Audit Committee and a member of SI’s Remuneration Committee.
Mr. Simkins, a member of Remuneration Committee, Audit Committee, is a mechanical engineer by training and worked for The Getz Group since 1966 spending the majority of his career working within group companies in the USA, Japan, Australia and South East Asia. ■