Victrex Group Finance Director Resigns

Steve Barrow has announced his resignation as group finance director on the board of Victrex plc, a polymer company that owns Invibio Biomaterials. Barrow will officially leave the company on May 31 2014 after 19 years of service.

Replacing him will be Louisa Burdett. Burrdett was chief financial officer and an executive director at Optos plc (a cable and wireless company) from June 2012 to July 2013. Prior to Optos, Louisa was chief financial officer at the Financial Times Group from 2008 to 2012. She has also held roles at Chep Europe, a division of Brambles Ltd, the Australian listed pallet distribution company, GE Healthcare (formerly Amersham plc) and GlaxoSmithKline plc. Louisa has also worked as a mergers and acquisitions consultant at Charterhouse Bank and spent four years at KPMG in London. She has a first class degree in Biochemistry from Imperial College, London and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

“I would like to thank Steve for his significant contribution to Victrex over 19 years,” said David Hummel, CEO of Victrex. “Steve has helped Victrex build a strong financial footing for the business, with a robust balance sheet, strong cash generation and an ability to invest and underpin our future growth. I want to pass on my personal thanks to Steve and I know all of our colleagues at Victrex will be sorry to see him go, but will wish him well in his future career.”

Burdett will join Victrex as group finance director designate on Jan. 2 2014. She will then step up to the board as group finance director and chairman of the currency committee on Jan. 31 after Barrow steps down from the board on that date. Barrow will support Burdett during a handover period until his May 31 departure date.

“I am delighted to welcome Louisa as Steve’s successor,” said Anita Frew, chairman of Victrex. “Louisa is a highly experienced group finance director across a number of sectors, and brings experience of operating at a senior level in a public company. I look forward to working with her.”

Victrex is based in Lancashire, England. The company makes PEEK polymers for use in medical implants and other applications.