The ESG Management Team

Alex Sleeth, Chief Executive Officer

Alex, an experienced board member joined ESG in 2008. Alex held CEO and Managing Director roles at National Britannia and was on the Board of the Inspicio Group, before it was integrated into the ESG Group.

During his 20 years with National Britannia, Alex oversaw a number of Management Buy Outs with the assistance of VCs  and delivered aggressive growth through a combination of strategic acquisition and organic development. As a result, national Britannia grew its turnover to £30m and was successfully sold to Connaught plc in 2008.

Nick Louden, Finance Director

Nick is a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) with considerable experience with sourcing, financing and completing strategic acquisitions. He joined ESG in 2008, having spent the previous three years as Finance Director at National Britannia, where he oversaw the sale to Connaught plc.

Prior to this, he held a number of roles as Finance Director and Group Accountant level within the industry and worked at KPMG for nine years where he advised on corporate finance, including M&A and buyouts.

Mandy Weston, Business Process Director

Mandy joined ESG in 2009 and is responsible for the development of new systems, processes and procedures within HR, Marketing, Quality, Tenders, CRM and Service Management.  Prior to this, she held the role of Director of Administration at National Britannia.

Mandy spent over 20 years at National Britannia, starting in  Administration. As Director of Administration there, she was responsible for head office administration, quality standards, budget control, financial reporting, marketing and PR, HR and Investors in People.

Richard Linney, Group IT Director

Richard joined ESG in 2009 and has a strong background in IT. He has previously held senior infrastructure management and project management positions at Eurofins, Fujitsu, Capgemini and the Icon Polymer Group. He has delivered significant strategic IT projects and developed and led teams of IT professionals.

Richard has specific knowledge of working in the laboratory services and manufacturing industries, including experience of LIMS, ERP, Six Sigma and Lean strategies. He is a PRINCE 2 practitioner and a Microsoft Certified professional.

Norman Sleeth, Managing Director, Environmental Safety Compliance

Norman joined ESG in 2008 and has a background in operations and services. In 1988, he started at National Pest Control Ltd, where within two years; he was promoted to the role of Service Manager for Scotland and the North East. By 1995, he was the Northern Operations Manager and in 1997, he was appointed as UK Operations Director. 

Norman has held a number of increasingly senior roles at several organisations since 1998. In 2002, he was the UK Managing Director at National Britannia with responsibility for seven companies, before leaving to start his own business the following year. In 2007, this was sold to the National Britannia Group and Norman rejoined as Managing Director of the Testing & Inspection Division, whose turnover exceeded £24m.

David Watson, Managing Director, Laboratories and Analytical Services

David joined Scientifics Ltd in 1999, as part of the UK sales Management team. In 2002, his success within business development sales and marketing saw him become Group Sales Director and join the Scientifics Board.  In 2006, he was appointed to Divisional Director, Analytical Services, a role held until Scientifics became a part of the ESG Group in 2009. It was at this time he took on his current role and now has responsibility for the P&L and general management of a £12m Division that employs over 200 professionals.

David is a Chartered Scientist and Chartered Chemist.

Robin Hastie, Managing Director, Materials Testing

Robin brings a wealth of industry experience to ESG, including integration, change management and strategic business development projects and has been a Director since 2009. He joined from Bureau Veritas UK following its acquisition by ESG, where he was responsible for leading construction testing in the UK and had been a Board member since 2007.

Robin has over 20 years’ experience in the independent testing & inspection sector, particularly in the Aerospace, Engineering, Oil & & Gas and Constructions sectors. He has worked for a number of leading companies, both in the UK and internationally. During this time, he has been responsible for the P&L for multiple business units throughout Europe, the UK and the Middle East.

David Clay, Managing Director, Geotechnical Services

David joined ESG in 2006 as Managing Director of the then Environmental Services Group Ltd and has held his current role since 2008. Before joining Environmental Services Group in 1995 where he held both Associate and Executive Directorships, he was the Divisional Manager at British Coal.

David has a wealth of experience, including leading scientific and technical support services to major mining exploration projects, as well as establishing offices and activities in South Africa, Mainland Europe, Colombia, Venezuela, India and the Emirates. He is a Member of the British Drilling Association, the Minerals Engineering Society and the Coal Industry Society (where he was Chairman in 2007).

Steve Lynas, Group HR Director

Steve joined ESG in September 2011 as Group HR Director. He is an experienced Director with a proven track record in leading HR functions within a number of market sectors, including the food and drinks industry. He also has an impressive reputation for his leadership and mentoring styles.

At ESG, he is responsible for both the HR & Payroll functions and ensuring that the HR Strategy is fully aligned with the business, as we continue to grow and develop our brand.