Meet The Team
Behind Group55 is a team of experienced leaders, technical specialists and operational experts, all committed to building a manufacturing partner that brands can rely on for the long term.
From strategy and governance through to formulation, production and fulfilment, our people bring deep sector knowledge and a shared belief in collaboration, responsibility and continuous improvement.
Board of Directors
-
Stephen is the Founder and Chairman of Group55, having started the business in 1999 with just £700 and no external investors. Built through reinvestment and execution, Stephen has grown Group55 deliberately, expanding its capability function by function to create an end‑to‑end platform that supports brands from early product development through to manufacturing, fulfilment and long‑term scale.
Today, Group55 employs more than 140 people, exports British‑made products to over 100 countries, and is proud to operate as a certified B Corp, reflecting Stephen’s belief that commercial success and responsible business should go hand in hand.
As Chairman, he provides strategic direction and governance while remaining closely connected to the culture and values that shaped the company from the beginning.
Stephen is also passionate about supporting people beyond the business, championing the local community, backing charitable initiatives, and investing time in mentorship and guidance for founders and entrepreneurs. His focus is on building things properly: aligning teams, removing unnecessary complexity, and creating the conditions for sustainable growth and long‑term value.
-
Rob brings extensive leadership experience across operations, distribution and manufacturing environments. He joined Group55 in 2020 as Operations and Health & Safety Director before stepping into the role of Managing Director in 2023, having previously held senior leadership positions including General Manager at UK Vapour Brands. Earlier in his career, Rob built a strong operational foundation through leadership roles in distribution and warehousing at organisations including Premier Farnell and CPC.
At Group55, Rob is responsible for leading the overall direction and performance of the business, with a strong focus on operational excellence, team development and organisational culture. He is known for his pragmatic, people‑centred leadership style, combining clear strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery to drive performance in complex environments. Rob plays a central role in shaping a culture built on accountability, trust and clarity, ensuring teams are aligned, engaged and equipped to deliver.
His approach is rooted in creating the conditions for people to succeed, bringing structure, stability and momentum to the business while maintaining a clear focus on sustainable growth and long‑term performance.
-
Julie is Commercial Director at Group55, bringing over 30 years’ experience across senior marketing and commercial leadership roles within consumer, retail and distribution‑led organisations. She has a strong track record in brand positioning and driving growth through product development, having previously led a business from £30m to £100m turnover over eight years as Head of Marketing.
Julie’s background includes guiding large‑scale rebrands, developing and launching new product ranges, and leading multidisciplinary teams across national retail and merchant networks. With more than three years at Group55, she plays a central role in shaping commercial strategy and supporting sustainable, long‑term growth across the business.
-
Kate holds over 14 years’ industry experience and more than eight years with the business. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Forensic Science alongside an SCS Diploma and has deep expertise across formulation, quality, and laboratory‑led innovation. Kate has been instrumental in establishing Group55’s technical infrastructure, having built and commissioned, designed and curated the company’s laboratory capability twice (over two site moves) to support product development and compliance. As a formulator, she has developed numerous award‑winning products currently on the market and was recognised as a Sub36 Lancashire Business View winner of the Made in Lancashire Award in 2020. Her strong technical leadership underpins Group55’s ability to deliver high‑quality, compliant and commercially successful products across its portfolios.
-
Emma brings over 24 years’ experience across buying and senior account management roles within food, non‑food, pet care, health and beauty categories. With more than 10 years’ experience as a buyer and a further 14 years working in commercial and national account management roles, she offers a rare dual perspective across both buying and selling.
Emma holds a BSc in Business and currently serves as a Director at Group55, where she manages large, strategic key accounts within the business. Her depth of sector knowledge and strong commercial insight enable her to build long‑term, value‑driven customer partnerships that support sustainable growth.
-
Paul is Strategic Director at Group55, bringing significant leadership experience from across the contract manufacturing and speciality chemicals sectors, particularly within personal care. He has held senior executive roles including Managing Director and Operations Director, leading complex manufacturing businesses through periods of growth, operational change and commercial development. Paul’s background spans strategy, operations and delivery, with deep experience in aligning manufacturing capability to long‑term business objectives.
At Group55, he supports strategic decision‑making at board level, bringing pragmatic insight and operational perspective to help shape sustainable growth and capability development across the business. -
over 20 years’ experience in senior operational roles across manufacturing, engineering, operations and large‑scale business transformation. He leads the design, governance and delivery of major transformation programmes, acting as the link between strategy, operations, technology and people.Steve was Project Lead for one of Group55’s most significant change initiatives: the consolidation of the business from three operational sites into a single, fully integrated facility at Ackhurst, delivered end‑to‑end while maintaining continuity of supply. Drawing on deep operational experience, he specialises in turning strategy into execution through disciplined project delivery, automation and data‑led performance management, embedding OEE and SQDMC principles to drive continuous improvement.Alongside transformation, Steve leads the next phase of Group55’s sustainability agenda, building on its B Corp certification to embed responsible, sustainable practices into everyday operations.
-
Martin Breen brings more than two decades of experience in the pet care industry, having spent over 21 years with Group55 playing a pivotal role in shaping its pet care proposition. As Pet Care Director, Martin leads sales and new product development for the Animology brand and oversees all private label pet care projects. He was instrumental in building Animology from an initial concept into a recognised and trusted pet care brand, now sold in more than 40 countries worldwide.
This deep category expertise underpins his capability in managing complex private label customer accounts, enabling him to work closely with partners to deliver commercially successful, high‑quality pet care products that meet evolving market and consumer expectations.
-
Gary is a corporate and commercial solicitor with 35 years’ experience in both private practice and in-house roles. Dual-qualified in both English and Scots law, he spent some 25 years in private practice, 14 of which as a Partner, in leading UK corporate orientated practices; including leadership roles on the firm’s management board, Head of the Technology Group and as UK Head of Private Equity. Over the past decade Gary has been a Director and General Counsel for privately owned, founder managed businesses in diverse sectors such as renewable energy (solar) and subscription-based logistics (contact lens), where he married up his legal and commercial skills to support the wider leadership team. In addition to all forms of commercial contracts, he has particular expertise in funding and M&A transactions, whether partial or full exits for the leadership group.
-
Neil holds 20+ years’ experience across commercial finance, financial leadership and business recovery. He joined Group55 in 2021, having previously spent over a decade at All About Food Ltd, progressing from Financial Controller to Head of Finance.
At Group55, Neil provides strategic financial leadership, strengthening governance, controls and decision‑making across the business. Since joining, he has supported a period of significant year‑on‑year turnover growth, including exceptional growth in a single year followed by continued strong double‑digit increases, alongside a transition into sustained profitability. His focus is on ensuring the financial foundations are in place to support long‑term, sustainable growth.
Advisors To The Board
-
Warren is Advisor to the Board at Group55, bringing more than 25 years’ experience as a senior consulting leader at KPMG. Throughout his career, Warren has led major transformation programmes across financial services, technology, government and retail banking, with particular expertise in banking technology, payments, large‑scale systems integration and supporting technology start‑ups and scale‑ups.
In addition to his client work, Warren served as Office Senior Partner for KPMG Manchester, where he played a pivotal role in steering the firm through the post‑pandemic period, driving regional growth, championing social mobility initiatives and nurturing the North West’s technology and innovation ecosystem. Known for his inspirational leadership and commitment to mentoring, Warren continues to focus on supporting businesses and leaders across the region, bringing strategic insight, challenge and perspective to Group55 at board level.
-
Professor Dame Robina Shah DBE is Professor of Medical Education and Psychosocial Medicine at The University of Manchester and Director of the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience. She has held senior leadership and governance roles across the NHS, education, sport and the voluntary sector, with national and international experience in compassionate leadership, mentoring and coaching, tackling health inequalities, and improving access, inclusion, and outcomes for communities.
Robina is a specialist in social medicine, with a particular interest in how compassionate leadership, lived experience and inclusive practice can improve services, organisations, and communities. She mentors and coaches’ individuals and organisations through periods of change and transition, both personally and professionally, helping them to navigate complexity with confidence, purpose, and kindness.
Through the Dame Robina Shah Foundation, she continues to champion opportunity, aspiration and brighter futures for young people and underserved communities. She is an Advisor to the Board at Group55, supporting its work with a broad range of stakeholders through her expertise in leadership, equity and inclusion.
-
Steve holds extensive experience as a senior commercial leader across both strategic and operational business development roles. His background spans digital marketing, category management, private label, pricing, purchasing and supply chain, giving him a broad and highly commercial perspective. Steve has a proven track record of improving business performance through sales growth, market share expansion, operational effectiveness, business restructuring and disciplined cost management. Known for his hands‑on approach, he excels at translating complex information into clear, actionable business plans and KPIs, and also brings a strong people‑led leadership style, with a long history of improving employee engagement within high‑performing global and culturally diverse organisations. At Group55, his advisory focus centres on strengthening supply chain and purchasing capability to support sustainable, profitable growth.
Leadership Team
-
Michael Haigh is Head of Operations at Group55, bringing over 20 years’ experience across consumer appliances, FMCG, manufacturing and distribution. He has held leadership roles at organisations including Wolseley UK, Glen Dimplex Home Appliances and Pets Choice, building a strong track record in complex, fast‑moving operational environments.
At Group55, Michael is responsible for driving operational performance, leading high‑performing teams and shaping a positive, results‑focused workforce culture. He focuses on the practical application of Lean management techniques to improve efficiency, remove inefficiencies and deliver sustainable performance improvements. With experience spanning brand and product management through to supply chain and operations, Michael brings a well‑rounded commercial perspective and strong strategic awareness.
Known for his hands‑on approach and ability to simplify complexity, he plays a key role in ensuring Group55 operates effectively, creating an environment where both people and performance can thrive.
-
Neil brings over 30 years’ experience in the personal care manufacturing industry, including more than 20 years in senior purchasing and supply chain leadership roles. He has deep expertise in strategic supplier relationship management, packaging specification and sourcing, and the procurement of raw materials and chemicals.
A key focus of Neil’s role is advancing recyclable and biodegradable packaging solutions, ensuring the supply chain supports both commercial performance and environmental responsibility. Working closely with suppliers, he champions ethical sourcing, transparency and continuous improvement, building resilient, future‑focused supply networks that enable customers to grow with confidence.
-
Georgia is Technical & Manufacturing Lead at Group55, bringing over six years’ experience within the business and a strong background in formulation and manufacturing scale‑up. She holds a Master’s degree in Chemistry (MChem) alongside an SCS Diploma and plays a central role across both technical and manufacturing functions.
As Head of Technical, Georgia leads formulation and compliance, while also overseeing manufacturing scale‑up to ensure products transition seamlessly from development into production. She has formulated numerous award‑winning products currently on the market, supporting Group55’s reputation for technically robust, high‑quality and commercially successful product delivery.
-
Jess is HR Business Partner at Group55, with 11 years’ experience supporting organisations across manufacturing, warehousing, football and financial services. She holds the CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management and brings a pragmatic, people‑focused approach to her role.
Working closely with business leaders and colleagues across Group55, Jess is responsible for driving business results and increasing colleague engagement by delivering the organisation’s people strategy. Her role spans the full employee lifecycle, combining insight, data and external best practice to implement both strategic and operational HR plans, alongside day‑to‑day people support, policy development and HR training for leaders across the business.
-
Maryke Kieruj is Production Manager at Group55, bringing 18 years’ experience across production environments, including 15 years within the pharmaceutical sector prior to joining the business. After starting her professional career in teaching, Maryke transitioned into the production environment and has progressed through every level of manufacturing operations, from production operator through to senior production leadership, giving exceptional understanding of the industry at all levels. At Group55, Maryke oversees the end‑to‑end production process, ensuring efficiency, quality and timely delivery while coordinating teams, resources and processes across the operation. Her strong background in GMP‑led environments, planning, and operational control underpins consistent performance, compliance and continuity across manufacturing.
-
Lauren Stewart Manufacturing Leader -
Aga brings nearly 20 years’ experience in QHSE and compliance roles across the full supply chain, spanning manufacturing, packaging, storage and distribution. She holds a Master’s Degree in Microbiology, a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, a Diploma in Packaging Technology, and the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, providing a strong academic and technical foundation for her work. With almost two decades spent in the consumer goods sector, Aga is responsible for leading compliance and risk management across the business.
She has a proven track record of delivering QHSE excellence, consistently achieving zero non‑conformances in external audits across multiple organisations operating under BRCGS, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22716, SMETA/Sedex and B Corp frameworks. Recognised for rapidly embedding robust, audit‑ready systems, Aga plays a key role in strengthening operational control and ensuring excellence across Group55’s quality, safety, health and environmental standards.
-
Rosie Pickles is Fulfilment & Logistics Manager at Group55, bringing experience across customer service, office management and warehouse operations. She joined Group55 in 2025 following nearly nine years with Welly Warehouse, where she held roles including Office Manager and Marketing & Merchandising Team Leader, developing a broad operational and customer‑focused skillset.
At Group55, Rosie leads fulfilment and logistics operations, ensuring the efficient delivery of products while maintaining a strong focus on service quality and consistency. She is known for her ability to bring structure and clarity to fast‑paced environments, building aligned teams that deliver reliable, high‑quality outcomes for customers.
With a values‑driven approach and clear communication style, Rosie focuses on creating consistency across teams and processes, helping to maintain high service standards and strengthen customer relationships as the business continues to grow.