Keller North America

Kate was a Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee of Imagination Technologies plc, the former global FTSE 250 high technology company until November 2017. She is a Board Member of the world’s first Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. She sits on the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee and from 2017-2018 was a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Kate was a partner at College Hill for 12 years from 1996 and was Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for business engagement until July 2016. She holds a BA in Publishing and History.

David is a highly experienced finance executive who has worked in a variety of industries and geographies over the last 30 years. Most recently he was Chief Financial Officer of J. Murphy & Sons Limited, a leading international specialist engineering and construction company. He has held senior finance roles at Serco Group plc and at Barclays plc. David trained as an accountant with KPMG in London and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Eric has been involved in the design and construction of foundation and ground stabilisation projects for over 35 years. He managed the successful acquisition and integration of Catoh Drilling, Inc. in New York; G. Donaldson and Geo-Instruments in Rhode Island; Geo-Foundations in Ontario, and Moretrench American in New Jersey. With a technical specialty in grouting, notable projects managed by Eric include North America’s first compensation grouting project at the St. Claire River Tunnel in Ontario; compaction grouting for seismic mitigation for the Paiton Power Station in Indonesia, and chemical grout ground stabilisation for the CA/T, C11A1, Atlantic Avenue Tunnel. 

Eric holds a BSCE from Bucknell University and he is a member of the ASCE Geo Institute, the Deep Foundations Institute, and The Moles.

Eva graduated with a Master of Science in Engineering and Applied Physics from Linköping Institute of Technology and holds an MBA from the University of Melbourne. She is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Eva began her career in various positions with Ericsson working in Continental Europe, North America and Asia from 1981 to 1990 followed by director roles with Ericsson from 1993 to 1999. She joined TeliaSonera in 2000 as Senior Vice President before moving to Xelerated, initially as Chairperson and later as Chief Executive from 2007 to 2011.

Prior to his appointment as President, North America, James had been Group Finance Director of Keller Group plc for 15 years. He has 15 years’ experience in the engineering sector and extensive financial and strategic management experience. He served as an Executive Director from July 2003 until 30 June 2020. His previous roles included Group Financial Controller at DS Smith plc. James qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand and worked in their New York office advising on mergers and acquisitions. 

James has an MA (Hons) in History from Cambridge University.

Before his appointment as President, Europe in January 2021, Jim was Group Strategy and Business Development Director from January 2019 until December 2020. Jim has over 30 years’ experience in the industry and has held various senior positions, including 10 years as Managing Director of Keller’s North-West Europe business. He has served the UK trade association, the Federation of Piling Specialists, for many years, including two as the Chairman.

Jim is a Chartered Engineer and a fellow of the ICE and RICS.

Katrina has over 25 years of experience in delivering technology-driven change and business transformation in multiple industries such as Aerospace Defence, Telecommunications, Transport and Technology. She joined Keller from Cobham Plc, where she held the position of Executive Vice President IT. Katrina has also held senior IT roles in Raytheon, Systems Union and MCI WorldCom as well as senior roles in Product Development and Transformation at Cable & Wireless and Verizon. 

Katrina has a BSc in Mathematics and an MSc in Operational Research.

Kerry has over 25 years’ experience of company secretarial roles within large, complex FTSE listed companies across a broad range of sectors. Kerry is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute and holds an Honours degree in Law. Kerry is also a member of the European Corporate Governance Council and the Chartered Governance Institute’s Company Secretaries’ Forum.

Michael joined Keller from Cape plc, a leading international provider of industrial services, where he was Chief Financial Officer. He has over 30 years of experience across a range of industries, holding senior operational, divisional and corporate roles within TI Group plc and Smiths Group plc between 1982 and 2004, before his appointment as Chief Financial Officer for the oilfield services company Expro International Group plc. Michael holds a BSc in Engineering and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Nancy’s extensive international business experience, together with a proven record in winning and safely delivering both global and local contracts, was gained at CH2M Hill, Inc., where she held the board position of Group President and Corporate Sponsor for Sustainability before retiring in 2013.

Paula has extensive FTSE 250 board experience as both an Executive and Non-executive Director. From 2013 to 2016 she was Chief Financial Officer of support services group John Menzies plc and between 2006 and 2013 was Group Finance Director of the advanced engineering group Ricardo plc. Prior to that Paula held senior management positions at BAA plc, AWG plc and Rolls-Royce plc. Paula was a Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of the global engineering and technology group Laird PLC from 2012 until its acquisition and delisting in July 2018, including a period as Senior Independent Director. Paula is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

A Mining Engineer by background, Peter was Non-executive Chairman of Volution Group plc until January 2020; Non-executive Chairman of Imagination Technologies plc from February 2017 until its sale to Canyon Bridge Partners in September 2017; Non-executive Chairman of Alent plc from 2012 to the end of 2015; Chief Executive of the electronics and technology group Laird PLC from 2002 to late 2011; a Non-executive Director on the boards of Cookson Group plc, Meggitt plc and Oxford Instruments plc. He has been a Non-executive board member of UK Trade and Investment, and a Non-executive Director on the board of the Royal Air Force, chaired by the UK Secretary of State for Defence. His early career was spent with natural resources companies Anglo American, Rio Tinto and BP; he was an Executive Director on the board of the engineering and construction company Costain Group plc, and he has also held management positions with BTR plc and Invensys plc.

Peter joined Keller after 25 years at AECOM, a leading global infrastructure firm. He is an experienced business leader and engineering professional with extensive knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region. He has supported the delivery of major infrastructure projects in transport, building, utilities, mining and industrial markets across APAC. Peter received a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the Queensland University of Technology.

Graeme joined Keller from EnQuest, a FTSE oil and gas production company, where he was the Group HR Director. He has significant international experience having been assigned to management roles in the UK, Africa and the Middle East. Graeme has over 25 years’ experience in both finance and HR leadership roles in a number of blue-chip companies. Graeme was Group Head of Talent and Leadership for Legal & General, HR Director, Mediterranean Basin and Africa region for BG Group, and spent most of his early career with Schlumberger in various HR and financial controller roles.

Graeme received an MA (Hons) in Accountancy and Economics from the University of Dundee.

John is an experienced HSEQ practitioner who has lived and worked in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the US. He was, most recently, at AMEC Foster Wheeler, an international engineering and project management company, where he was Chief HSSE Officer.

Before that, he was Vice President QHSSE for Weatherford International, one of the world’s largest multinational oil and gas service companies.

Venu began his career with Keller in Germany in 1994 as a geotechnical engineer. He has held the roles of Managing Director Keller Singapore, Malaysia and India; Business Unit Manager, Keller Far East in 2009; and Managing Director, Asia. Venu has extensive operational and strategic management experience. He served as an Executive Director from January 2017 until 30 June 2020.

Born in India, Venu studied civil engineering in India and the USA, has a PhD in structural engineering from Duke University and a Doctorate in geotechnical engineering from Karlsruhe University.