Board of Directors

Geoff Drabble
Chairman
Key strengths and experience
- Extensive leadership experience in the distribution, technology and manufacturing sectors
- Deep knowledge of US markets and operating conditions
Geoff served as Chief Executive of Ashtead Group plc, the FTSE 100 industrial equipment rental company, for 12 years during which he presided over a period of unprecedented growth in the business and was instrumental in creating a strong culture. He was previously an executive director of The Laird Group plc, where he was responsible for its Building Products division, and held a number of senior management positions at Black & Decker.
Appointment
- November 2019 (appointed as Chairman)
- May 2019 (appointed to the Board as a Non Executive Director)
Committee membership
Other principal appointments
Chairman of DS Smith Plc
Non Executive Director of Howden Joinery Group Plc

Kevin Murphy
Group Chief Executive
Key strengths and experience
- Culture champion with strong executive leadership skills
- Deep Group and industry knowledge
- Strategic operational experience
Kevin has significant experience in strategic development and delivering operational performance improvements. Kevin joined Ferguson in 1999 as an operations manager following the acquisition of his family’s business, Midwest Pipe and Supply. Prior to his appointment as Group CEO he held a number of leadership positions in the Group’s Waterworks division. He was Chief Operating Officer of Ferguson Enterprises from 2007 to 2017 and Chief Executive Officer, USA from 2017 to 2019. Since Kevin's appointment to the Board in 2017, the business has generated strong, profitable growth and continued to take market share under his leadership.
Appointment
November 2019 (appointed as Group Chief Executive)
August 2017 (appointed to the Board as Chief Executive Officer, USA)
Committee membership
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Chairman of the Major Announcement Committee
- Disclosure Committee
Other principal appointments
None

Bill Brundage
Group Chief Financial Officer
Key strengths and experience:
- Considerable financial management and operational experience
- Significant company knowledge
Bill is a certified public accountant with extensive Company experience. Bill joined Ferguson in 2003 as manager of finance and was promoted to Corporate Controller two years later. In 2008, he was promoted to Vice President of Finance, a position he held until his promotion to Senior Vice President of finance in 2016. Bill was then appointed as CFO for Ferguson Enterprises, the US business, in 2017. Previously, Bill spent five years at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the US as a senior associate.
Appointment
November 2020
Committee membership
- Chairman of the Disclosure Committee
- Chairman of the Treasury Committee
- Executive Committee
- Major Announcements Committee
Other principal appointments
None

Alan Murray
Senior Independent Non Executive Director
Key strengths and experience
- Considerable international operational and financial experience
- Extensive executive management experience within global businesses
Alan is a qualified chartered management accountant with extensive business leadership skills, executive and board experience and global business and financial reporting expertise. From 2002 to 2007, Alan served as Group Chief Executive of Hanson plc, where he had previously served as Finance Director and Chief Executive of Hanson Building Materials America. He served on the Management Board and Supervisory Board of HeidelbergCement AG and as a Non Executive Director of International Power plc.
Appointment
- January 2013
- March 2019 (Employee Engagement Director)
Committee membership
- Chairman of the Audit Committee
- Major Announcements Committee
- Nominations Committee
- Remuneration Committee
Other principal appointments
Non Executive Director of O-I Glass, Inc.

Tessa Bamford
Independent Non Executive Director
Key strengths and experience
- Broad business knowledge
- Extensive boardroom and City experience
Tessa has held senior advisory roles in both the UK and USA across a range of sectors. She held a variety of roles, including corporate finance, at J Henry Schroder & Co and Barclays de Zoete Wedd. She was a founder and Director of Cantos Communications and a Non Executive Director of Barratt Developments plc.
Appointment
March 2011
Committee membership
Other principal appointments
Partner at Spencer Stuart

Cathy Halligan
Independent Non Executive Director
Key strengths and experience
- Experienced senior executive with extensive board experience
- Extensive digital transformation, digital commerce, data analytics and marketing experience
Cathy has a strong track record in the retail, e-commerce and multi-channel arenas. She has served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Walmart.com, the SVP Sales and Marketing at PowerReviews and held senior marketing and internet roles at retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc., where she was responsible for leading efforts to launch its brands, such as Pottery Barn, on the web. She was an independent board director at Wilton Brands from 2016 to 2018.
Appointment
January 2019
Committee membership
Other principal appointments
- Non Executive Director at Driven Brands, Inc.
- Non Executive Director at FLIR Systems, Inc.
- Non Executive Director of Ulta Beauty, Inc.

Brian May
Independent Non Executive Director
Key strengths and experience
- Considerable financial and operational experience
- Extensive industry expertise
Brian is a chartered accountant. He qualified with KPMG and has since spent 27 years with Bunzl plc. During his career at Bunzl plc, he held a number of roles across the Treasury and Internal Audit functions and was Divisional Finance Director of Bunzl’s UK, Europe and Australasia division for nine years. He then served as CFO of Bunzl plc for 14 years until his retirement in late 2019.
Appointment
January 2021
Committee membership
Other principal appointments
- Non Executive Director of United Utilities Group PLC
- Non Executive Director of ConvaTec Group plc

Tom Schmitt
Independent Non Executive Director
Key strengths and experience
- Significant operational experience
- Extensive knowledge of US and international logistics and supply chain businesses
Tom is an experienced CEO with significant first-hand leadership experience of the markets in which the Group operates and a track record of driving accelerated profitable growth and promoting integrity, transparency and values-based leadership. His career started at BP and McKinsey and has encompassed leadership roles at FedEx, AquaTerra Corporation and Schenker AG. He served as a Non Executive Director of Zooplus AG from 2013 to 2016.
Appointment
February 2019
Committee membership
Other principal appointments
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Forward Air Corporation, Inc.

Nadia Shouraboura
Independent Non Executive Director
Key strengths and experience
- Considerable expertise in running complex logistics and supply chain activities
- Extensive experience of cutting edge technology and e-commerce
Nadia has substantial experience of the consumer and technology sectors. She was a Vice President at Amazon.com, Inc. and held management positions at Exelon Power Team, Diamond Management and Starlight Multimedia Inc. She held board level positions at Hointer Inc. and Cimpress N.V.
Appointment
July 2017
Committee membership
Other principal appointments
- Non Executive Director of Mobile TeleSystems Public Joint Stock Company
- Member of the Supervisory Board of X5 Retail Group N.V.

Jacky Simmonds
Independent Non Executive Director
Key strengths and experience
- Extensive expertise in executive remuneration and human resources within large international businesses
- Significant knowledge of talent management and employee engagement
Jacky has experience across a number of sectors. She has worked as a HR Director in a number of different consumer facing businesses, including VEON ltd, easyJet plc and TUI Travel plc. She was a member of the Supervisory Board of TUI Deutschland, GmbH and a Director of PEAK Adventure Travel Group Limited.
Appointment
May 2014
Committee membership
Other principal appointments
Chief People Officer of Experian plc.

Suzanne Wood
Independent Non Executive Director
Key strengths and experience
- Significant financial and operational knowledge
- Extensive public company experience
Suzanne is a chartered accountant and an experienced CFO. She started her career with PriceWaterhouse LLP and it has since encompassed CFO roles at two US publicly listed companies, Oakwood Homes Corporation and Tultex Corporation. Suzanne most recently served as CFO of Ashtead Group plc for six years after having joined Ashstead in 2003 as CFO of Sunbelt Rentals, Ashstead’s largest operating brand in the USA.
Appointment
January 2021
Committee membership
Other principal appointments
- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Vulcan Materials Company
- Non Executive Director of RELX PLC

Graham Middlemiss
Company Secretary
Graham was appointed Company Secretary of Ferguson plc on August 1, 2015. He is Secretary to the Board and all of the Committees of the Board. Graham, a solicitor, joined the Group in August 2004 as the General Counsel of its UK business and was Group Deputy Company Secretary from November 2012 to July 2015.
Appointment
August 2015
Committee membership
- Secretary to the Board and all of the Committees of the Board
- Graham regularly attends Board Meetings but is not a member of the Board
Other principal appointments
None