Nigel Ayres is an experienced general manager with a track record in building new businesses and establishing management systems to drive business performance.

 

Nigel qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1982 with Peat Marwick followed by three years practice in Hong Kong.

In 1987 he joined Lloyds Bank and rose to Finance Director, Lloyds Bank Registrars where he initiated change programmes to transform business competitiveness, achieving 57% market share and turning losses to record profits.  He used the core competences developed in new sectors setting up a new business unit providing services in the broader outsourcing market. 

In 1996 Nigel became CEO of Accor Corporate Services USA a business providing specialized HR services across the US.  Nigel was brought in to restore service delivery and financial control following major systems failure and to identify a strategy for taking the business forward.  He resolved the underlying organisational, financial control and systems issues and then changed the market focus to the growing work/life sector.  He used alliances to broaden capability and capture significant Fortune 100 customers such as Chrysler, Sears and Bank of America.  In two years he doubled revenues and reversed losses to over 50% gross margins.

In 1999 Nigel returned to the UK to Siemens Business Services as Finance Director to provide commercial leadership to the £1bn outsourcing contract with National Savings, which involved outsourcing their full IT and operations and transferring 4,100 staff. It is one of the few public sector deals hailed a success by the National Audit Office and rescued a declining business.  Nigel managed Siemens’ investment in systems and infrastructure and transformed the finance team from public sector to private sector best practice. He was involved at all levels of the governance structure in establishing a tough partnership with National Savings.

In 2002 Nigel became COO of Hays Container Services, a US logistics start up.  He managed the set up of operations, developed and proved the business model and took the business through to initial profitability. He led business development with Wal*Mart developing broader services and led alliance discussions with a key competitor. 

Following the successful sale of Hays Logistics, Nigel returned to the UK and set up his own firm, Xceda, providing interim and advisory services.  He took up a role with Random House as Business Development Director where he developed a new business and services to be provided to client publishers, ranging from new electronic publishing services, inbound freight services and innovative sales services.

Since April 2007 Nigel has been working with Globus Energy plc in building a biodiesel business.  His role has been to develop the business plan and identify targets for acquisition.  He is currently finalising a deal for the acquisition of a biodiesel production facility in Middlesbrough and has raised the majority of the required funding in an extremely challenging market.