About Us

Management - The Board

Nick Prest CBE

Non-Executive Chairman

Nick Prest joined the board of AVEVA in January 2006 and succeeded Richard King as Chairman in April 2006. Following a spell at the Ministry of Defence at the outset of his career Nick joined Alvis, the defence contractor in 1982, becoming Chief Executive in 1989 and Chairman and Chief Executive in 1996. Nick left Alvis following its acquisition by BAE Systems in 2004, by which time the company had become a leading international business in military land systems. In addition to his position at Alvis, Nick had a prominent role in defence industry representation, serving as Chairman of the Defence Manufacturers' Association and Vice-Chairman of the National Defence Industries Council. In addition to being Chairman of AVEVA Nick is also Chairman of Cohort plc, a defence technical services business floated on AIM in March 2006.

Richard Longdon

Chief Executive

Richard Longdon received an engineering training in the defence industry then gained experience in the project management of high value engineering projects. He moved into sales and held a series of international sales and marketing positions. He joined AVEVA in 1984 and, shortly afterwards, was made marketing manager for the process products. In January 1992 he relocated to Frankfurt, where he was responsible for setting up and running the group's German office. He returned to the UK as part of the management buyout team in 1994, taking responsibility for the group's worldwide sales and marketing activities, before being appointed Managing Director in May 1999. He took over as Group Chief Executive in December 1999.

Paul Taylor

Finance Director and Company Secretary

Paul Taylor is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and joined AVEVA in 1989. He was heavily involved in the flotation process and has been responsible for UK accounting and for the development of AVEVA's overseas subsidiaries including adherence to group standards. Between 1998 and 2001, Paul was also UK Director of Human Resources and was appointed to the position of Finance Director and Company Secretary of AVEVA Group plc on 1 March 2001. Before joining AVEVA, Paul trained within the accountancy profession before moving to Philips Telecommunications (UK) where he was responsible for the management accounts of its Public Sectors division.

Jonathan Brooks

Non-Executive Director

Jonathan Brooks was Chief Financial Officer and a Director of ARM Holdings plc between 1995 and 2002, and part of the original management team that took ARM from an early-stage company, through a dual listing on LSE and NASDAQ, to become a member of the FTSE100. He currently holds a number of directorships with technology-based companies. He is a Non-Executive Director of Xyratex Limited and of e2v technologies plc, where he is also Chairman of the Audit Committee. He is also Chairman of picoChip Inc and is a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Frontier Silicon Holdings.

Philip Dayer

Non-Executive Director

Philip Dayer qualified as a chartered accountant and pursued a corporate finance career in investment banking, specialising in advising small and mid-market UK companies. He held senior positions with a number of banks and retired from Hoare Govett Limited in 2004. Philip is a Non-Executive Director of Dana Petroleum plc, Senior Independent Director of Arden Partners plc, Chairman of Baltic Oil Terminals PLC and Chairman of County Contact Centres PLC.

David Mann

Non-Executive Director

David Mann was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge. He is Non-Executive Chairman of Charteris plc, a business and IT management consultancy, which he established with some colleagues in 1996 and which was floated on AIM in 2000. He is also Non-Executive Chairman of Flomerics Group plc (quoted on AIM) and Non-Executive Director of Ansbacher Holdings Ltd and Room Solutions Limited. Before he set up Charteris, he spent almost all his career with Logica plc, where he became head of worldwide operations, then Group Chief Executive and finally Deputy Chairman. He is a Past President of the British Computer Society and a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists in the City of London.