Rakesh Sharma, Chairman
Mr Sharma is a former FTSE 250 CEO with 30 years’ experience in running international hi-tech engineering and manufacturing businesses. He was instrumental in the growth of Ultra Electronics Holdings plc, the previously LSE-listed group that specialised in providing engineering solutions for mission-critical systems in the defence, security, critical detection and control markets, latterly serving for six years as CEO. He also sits on the Board of LSE-listed PayPoint plc and Moneysupermarket Group plc. He is also a lay council member at The University of Nottingham as part of his pro bono activities in the education sector. As part of these pro bono activities he supports a range of small businesses and entrepreneurs in a non-executive or advisory capacity. Mr Sharma was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2016 and was honoured in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours List with an OBE for services to defence capability. In 2018 he was given the Freedom of the City of London by redemption and became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers. He brings extensive expertise in the security and defence sector, a key market for Kromek.
Arnab Basu, Chief Executive Officer
Dr Basu has a PhD in physics from Durham University, specialising in semiconducting sensor materials, and started his career in technology businesses in India and the UK. A prominent figure within the business community, Dr Basu is Chair of Academic Health Science Network for North East and North Cumbria, an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and an Export Champion for the Department of International Trade. Dr Basu was awarded EY ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ (2009) and received an MBE for services to regional development and international trade in 2014.
Paul N. Farquhar, Chief Financial Officer
Mr Farquhar is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has in excess of 30 years’ experience as a finance director and chief financial officer, primarily for international businesses. He was previously President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Sevcon Inc, a NASDAQ-listed designer, manufacturer and supplier of microprocessor controls for electric and hybrid vehicles. In this position, Mr Farquhar established a global finance team in five countries with common financial reporting systems to meet the needs of a growing technology business and also oversaw the raising of equity and debt finance and M&A activity. He began his career as a chartered accountant, spending 10 years as an auditor at Jennings Johnson in Sunderland and at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Newcastle and Lisbon, Portugal.
Mr Albertus (“Berry”) Beumer, Chief Operating Officer
Mr Beumer is a technology business executive with extensive experience of delivering revenue growth in analytical instrument, high-frequency communications equipment, and optoelectronic and semiconductor materials industries. He has held several senior roles while working both in Europe and the US with AkzoNobel and Allied Signal and was Division President and General Manager of Taconic’s US, Europe, and Asia operations. Prior to joining Kromek, he was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at XOS, Inc., a Danaher Company. During his tenure at XOS, Inc., Mr Beumer was responsible for driving the strategic direction of their x-ray elemental technology business, positioning the company as a global leader in application specific elemental analysis solutions for the petroleum and consumer products industries.
Lawrence Kinet, Non-Executive Director
Mr Kinet has over 45 years’ experience in leadership positions in the medical device and bio-pharmaceutical industry, most recently as Group Chief Executive of LMA International NV and President of Smiths Medical, London. Mr Kinet has raised more than $100m in funding for early-stage companies, taking one through an IPO, and made over $1bn worth of acquisitions. His career began at Baxter International, running several overseas operations and eventually becoming President of Baxter’s International Division. He holds a BSc from the University of Birmingham (UK) and an MBA from the University of Chicago. In addition to being a Non-Executive Director of Kromek, Mr. Kinet is the former Chairman of Metrasens Ltd in Malvern, UK (a company in the healthcare and security fields) and is the Board Chair of Reglagene Inc., a company developing treatment for brain cancer.
Jerel Whittingham, Non-Executive Director & Remuneration Committee Chair
Mr Whittingham has extensive experience in investor, operational and strategy roles with technology-rich companies, including Incuvest LLC, Generics Group plc, Durlacher plc, Amphion Innovations plc, INMARSAT, and a number of start-ups. He was appointed to the Board of Kromek Group plc in September 2013. Currently, he manages a portfolio of emerging and existing University spinouts and a small Seed Fund and also chaired (2021-22) a regional project looking to radically improve University spinout and SME access to patient capital. He has served as interim CEO or Executive Chairman of spinouts from Manchester and Cambridge Universities. Jerel is a graduate of UCL, Cranfield and ULB.
Christopher Wilks, Non-Executive Director & Audit Committee Chair
Mr Wilks is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He is currently Chief Financial Officer at ECO Animal Health Group plc, a leader in the development, registration and marketing of pharmaceutical products for global animal health markets. He qualified with Ernst & Young and has over 25 years’ experience as Chief Financial Officer in technology and science-based companies. For over 10 years, he was the Chief Financial officer of Sondex plc, which makes advanced instruments used in the Energy Industry. During Mr Wilks’ tenure, Sondex grew from a small sole trader to a fully listed plc and was acquired by GE in 2007. Immediately prior to joining ECO Animal Health Group, Chris was the CFO at Signum Technology Limited, a PE-backed buy-out vehicle formed for the acquisition of a number of oilfield technology businesses. Signum was successfully sold during 2019. His intimate understanding of the physics and financial worlds adds valuable insight and expertise to Kromek.
