Board of Directors

Michael’s career began with his long established family packaging business, Brentwood Sack and Bag Co. Limited.  He took over responsibility for sales and production in the mid-1970’s, changing the emphasis of the company’s business from jute products to polythene packaging. Introducing the then innovative high density and medium density polythene bags into the UK market in 1975.  Appointed Managing director of Brentapac UK Plc, which formerly owned the Tuffy trademark in 1985, with continuing responsibility for national and international sales.  He co-founded Symphony Plastics in 1995.

Michael qualified as a Solicitor with Distinction in Company Law. He was called to the Bar, and practised from chambers in London for many years, dealing with civil cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal. He was a member of the UK Parliament 1992-97 and was a member of the Trade and Industry Select Committee and the Environment Select Committee of the House of Commons. He served in Government as Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture. He held a Harkness Fellowship in law at Stanford and Harvard Universities in the USA and was Deputy Legal Adviser to the British Ambassador to the United Nations for the 25th General Assembly.

Ian was in private practice for seven years, qualifying as a certified accountant in 1992. In 1994, he joined Brentapac UK Plc which was sold later the same year.  He went on to co-found Symphony Plastics in 1995.

Nicolas Clavel started his career in international banking in the mid-seventies and his area of expertise has been structured trade finance and equity investments with a particular focus on Emerging Markets. He is Chief Investment Officer of Scipion Capital Ltd., (the Investment Manager of Scipion African Opportunities Fund SPC) and is personally CF 1, 3, 11 and CF30 approved by the UK Financial Services Authority. Nicolas is Swiss, and is based in London and Geneva. He is fluent in English, French, Italian and German.

Michael is an experienced finance professional with more than 40 years’ experience across a variety of roles in both UK and with international organisations. During the last 10 years he has primarily provided non-executive director services to organisations including the Transport Research Foundation, Biome Technologies Plc, the Transport Systems Catapult and Stobart Group Limited. Prior to this, Michael also worked for Accenture, Guinness (worldwide Finance Director for its beer division), HSBC, Laporte plc (Finance Director), Lloyds Register (CFO and Chief Operating Officer), Royal Bank of Scotland (private equity) and Unilever.