About us

David Lister

Non-Executive Chairman

Date of Appointment

• Non-Executive Director – March 2016
• Chair of the Board – March 2019
• Chair of the Nomination Committee – March 2019

Experience

David has over 40 years of experience in operations and technology roles across multiple industries for international businesses such as Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline, Boots, Reuters, Royal Bank of Scotland and National Grid. He also has experience in the professional services sector where he was a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”). Other former non-executive appointments include Interxion Holdings B.V., HSBC Bank plc, CIS General Insurance Limited and the Department for Work and Pensions.

External Appointments

• HSBC Private Bank (UK) Limited (Non-Executive Chair, appointed December 2019)
• Marks and Spencer Financial Services Plc (Non-Executive Chair, appointed September 2020)
• HSBC UK Bank Plc (Non-Executive Director, appointed May 2019)
• Nuffield Health (Member of the Board of Governors, appointed February 2014)

Rod Flavell

Chief Executive Officer

Date of Appointment

• Founded FDM – 1990

Experience

Rod is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of FDM Group and has more than 40 years’ experience in the technology sector. He has been instrumental in the development of the Group into an international, award-winning employer with a prestigious client base operating in multiple markets.

Rod is a strong advocate of improving diversity in the technology industry, as demonstrated by the Group’s Women in Tech, Returners Programme, Ex-Forces and veteran career transition initiatives. In 2019, he was featured in the Management Today Agents of Change Power List for the second consecutive year. He was also featured in the Yahoo HERoes Top Advocate Executives of 2019 for his work promoting gender equality in the workplace.

External Appointments

Rod has no external appointments.

Sheila Flavell CBE

Chief Operating Officer

Date of Appointment

• Chief Operating Officer – January 2008
• Joined FDM – 1998

Experience 

Sheila has over 30 years of experience in both the public and private IT sectors. She spearheads FDM’s global Women in Tech initiative and Returners Programme. 

Sheila was awarded a CBE in the 2020 New Year Honours List for services to gender equality in IT, and graduate and returners’ employment.

In 2022 Sheila was elected President of techUK, the trade association which brings together business, government and stakeholders to realise the potential of what digital technology can achieve. She has been invited to advise government committees on improving the digital skills shortage and gender pay gap in the UK. Her work has been acknowledged by numerous awards, including inclusion in Computer Weekly’s ‘Most Influential Women in UK Tech, Hall of Fame’. At the 2020 European Tech Women Awards, the Department of Trade and Industry recognised her outstanding achievements by conferring Sheila with a ‘Career Recognition’ award.

External Appointments

techUK Limited (President, originally appointed June 2016).

Andy Brown

Chief Commercial Officer

Date of Appointment

• Chief Commercial Officer – January 2008
• Joined FDM – 1994

Experience

Andy progressed through the Group’s sales team to become Global Sales Director in 2007 and, subsequently, Chief Commercial Officer.

Andy oversees the expansion of the Group with a focus on the sales and recruitment functions. Andy’s strategic focus is around developing new service streams in line with client demands, as well as increasing the number of applicants to the Group’s Graduate programme, which are both key areas to the success and growth of the Group. Andy also played a key role in the launch and success of the UK Ex-Forces Programme.

External Appointments

Andy has no external appointments.

Michelle Senecal de Fonseca

Independent Non-Executive Director

Date of Appointment

• Non-Executive Director – January 2016

Experience

Michelle is an experienced senior executive specialising in technology and international communications. She was formerly the Global Vice President for Global Strategic Alliance Partnerships and Regional VP for Sales and Services at Citrix Systems. Prior to Citrix, she was Global Director of Cloud and Hosting Services at Vodafone. Michelle has previously worked at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development where she managed the Telecom, Media and Technology banking team. Michelle is a co-founder and board member of Women in Telecoms and Technology, a UK not-for-profit organisation. In 2020, Michelle joined the Strategic Advisory committee to TEDI-London, a new design-led engineering school in the UK.

External Appointments

• Alphawave IP Group Plc (Non-Executive Director, appointed May 2021.
• Redcentric plc (Non-Executive Director, Chair of Remuneration Committee, appointed 13 February 2024).
• Women in Telecoms and Technology (WITT) Limited (Director, appointed May 2008).
• Thunderbird School of Global Management (Director, appointed April 2009).
• ASU Global Foundation UK Ltd (Director, appointed October 2021).
• MOVE Capital (Investment Board member, appointed September 2017).

Mike McLaren

Chief Financial Officer

Date of Appointment

• Chief Financial Officer – April 2011
• Joined FDM – 2011

Experience

Mike is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Prior to joining FDM, Mike fulfilled the roles of Group Finance Director and Chief Operating Officer in a premium listed business in the software and services sector. In addition, Mike has been an Independent Non-Executive Chair and Non-Executive Director on the boards of a number of other companies. Overall, Mike has more than 30 years’ experience of working within the technology sector in a range of senior financial, commercial and operational roles.

External Appointments

ActiveOps plc (Non-Executive Director, Chair of Audit Committee, appointed March 2021).

Alan Kinnear

Independent Non-Executive Director

Date of Appointment

• Non-Executive Director – January 2020
• Chair of the Audit Committee – April 2020

Experience

Alan is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

Alan was with PwC for 35 years until his retirement in 2015, including 23 years as an audit partner working with listed, private equity-backed and fast-growth entrepreneurial companies. He was a member of PwC’s South East regional board and a national leader for audit services in the private equity sector. He has significant skills and experience in financial reporting, regulation, corporate governance and risk management.

During the year following his retirement from PwC in 2015, Alan was a non-executive director with CEGA Holdings Limited.

External Appointments

Alan has no external appointments.

Jacqueline De Rojas CBE

Senior Independent Director

Date of Appointment

• Non-Executive Director – October 2019
• Senior Independent Director – May 2024

Experience 

Jacqueline is a highly regarded leader in the UK technology field, with a strong reputation as a champion of women and minority voices. She sits on the board of technology trade association techUK where she has used her platform as president to shape policy over the last seven years to enable the technology industry to thrive. Her commitment to diversity and building tech skills in the sector is her driver for co-chairing the Governance Board of the Institute of Coding.

Prior to this, Jacqueline held senior executive roles at major tech companies including Sage Group, Citrix Systems, CA Technologies, Novell and McAfee International. She was previously a non-executive director at AO World plc and Home Retail Group plc. In 2019, Jacqueline was awarded a CBE for Services to International Trade in Technology.

Jacqueline is the Board’s designated Non-Executive Director for engagement with the Group’s workforce, enabling employees to share ideas and concerns with senior management and the Board.

External Appointments

• Rightmove plc (Senior Independent Director, appointed December 2016).
• techUK Limited (Director, appointed July 2014).
• Industrial and Financial Systems, IFS AB (Sweden) (Non-Executive Director, appointed May 2021.

Rowena Murray

Independent Non-Executive Director

Date of Appointment

• Non-Executive Director – August 2023
• Chair of the Remuneration Committee – May 2024

Experience

Rowena is highly regarded for her experience in investment banking and corporate broking, and her insight into the public markets. She has a strong reputation for helping businesses to implement their strategies effectively to generate growth and create value.

Rowena began her career in Sydney as a corporate lawyer at a leading Australian law firm. She moved to the UK in 2004 and joined Investec Bank plc (“Investec”). As a director in Investec’s Investment Banking division, Rowena provided strategic advice to public and private companies and led corporate transactions across a variety of sectors, including business services and technology. In 2017 she moved to Tenzing Private Equity, an investor in high-growth UK and European SMEs, where she has been the appointed non-executive director for various companies within the Tenzing portfolio.

External Appointments

• Altum Group
• Eikon Group