Dame Anita Frew

Chair

Chair of the Nominations, Culture & Governance Committee

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 1 July 2021 and as Chair on 1 October 2021

Nationality

British

Career highlights

Dame Anita has served on plc boards in the science, chemical, resources, engineering, water and financial services industries for more than 25 years. She stepped down as Chair of Croda International plc in April 2024, having been appointed in 2015. Dame Anita was a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Council and in 2023, was awarded a Damehood for her services to business and the economy.

Dame Anita was a non-executive director of BHP Group plc until 2021 and deputy chair and senior independent director of Lloyds Banking Group until May 2020. She has also held the positions of chair of Victrex plc, senior independent director of Aberdeen Asset Management and IMI plc, non-executive director of Northumbrian Water, executive director at Abbott Mead Vickers PLC and director of corporate development at WPP Group as well as various investment and marketing roles at Scottish Provident and Royal Bank of Scotland in her early career.

Board skills and competencies

Dame Anita brings a wealth of extensive leadership and global experience from more than two decades of board appointments both in the UK and internationally. Together with her skills and reputation with investors and government institutions, her broad knowledge of strategic management across a range of sectors will be invaluable to the Board and the Group as a whole.

Tufan Erginbilgic

Chief Executive

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 1 January 2023

Nationality

British and Turkish

Career highlights

Tufan has a background in engineering and has built his career in international business with over 20 years with BP, five years as part of its executive team. He held a number of senior roles at BP, including CEO of Lubricants, BP and Castrol; Chief of Staff to the Group CEO; and Chief Operating Officer of the downstream business, becoming its CEO in 2014 until 2020. Tufan has held several non-executive directorships in heavy industry and manufacturing. These include aerospace technology group GKN; energy, healthcare technology group DCC plc; and energy company Türkiye Petrol Rafinerileri A.Ş (Tupras). He is currently a non-executive director of multinational transport vehicle manufacturer Iveco Group NV and a senior adviser of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a private equity firm focused on large-scale investments in infrastructure businesses. Tufan was a partner of GIP until December 2022.

Tufan has a BSc in engineering, a Master of Business Administration degree and an MA in economics.

Board skills and competencies

Tufan is a proven leader of winning teams within complex multinational organisations, with over six years as CEO of BP’s downstream business. He drives a high-performance culture and delivers results for investors. He has extensive strategic and operational experience and a firm understanding of safety critical industries as well as the challenges and commercial opportunities presented by the drive for low carbon technologies. He has a strong track record for execution, delivery and the creation of significant value and a stated ambition to deliver the full potential of the market positions which Rolls-Royce has built over many years, through its engineering excellence and innovative technology.

Helen McCabe

Chief Financial Officer

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 4 August 2023

Nationality

British

Career highlights

Helen brings more than 25 years of experience in senior finance and performance management roles within complex multinational engineering organisations. Helen was previously senior vice president, finance for the Customer & Products division of BP, which runs the company’s customer-focused business. She also held accountabilities for BP’s global refining portfolio. Helen has considerable international experience having previously been chief financial officer of BP Downstream’s fuels and refining Europe & Southern Africa businesses. Prior to that, she spent four years as head of planning and performance management for the downstream division, helping to drive the successful transformation of the business and dramatically improve its financial returns. Helen started her career with Ernst & Young where she trained and qualified as a chartered accountant after graduating from the University of Cambridge with a BA in history.

Board skills and competence

Helen has a track record of promoting rigorous financial discipline and her experience of delivering performance management to achieve dramatic improvements will be invaluable as the Group moves, at pace, to transform Rolls-Royce. Her skillset will complement the existing capabilities of the Executive Team, contributing to Rolls-Royce delivering on its significant potential.

George Culmer

Senior Independent Director

Member of the Nominations, Culture  & Governance, Audit and Remuneration Committees

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 2 January 2020

Nationality

British

Career highlights

George was chief financial officer at Lloyds Banking Group until 2019. During his time there, George helped to deliver a strong sustainable financial performance. He played a key role in the bank’s transformation and restoration to public ownership. Prior to joining Lloyds in 2012, George served as group financial officer at RSA Insurance Group from 2004. He also held finance roles at Zurich Financial Services and Prudential. George trained as a chartered accountant, after graduating from the University of Cambridge with a degree in history.

Board skills and competencies

George has a strong track record as a senior finance professional with significant experience gained in large, international, highly regulated groups with high cyber threat profiles and has proven business leadership credentials. With this experience, together with his strengths in change leadership and transformation gained from within complex groups, George makes a significant contribution to the Board.

Birgit Behrendt

Independent Non-Executive Director

Member of the Nominations, Culture & Governance and Safety, Energy Transition & Tech Committees

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 11 May 2023

Nationality

German

Career highlights

A former company officer and vice president global purchasing at Ford Motor Company, Birgit has extensive global operational experience in leading large projects. Before retiring in 2019 she oversaw Ford‘s European joint ventures (JV) and alliances and expanded her board experience in large international European industrial groups. She is a highly capable influencer and relationship builder, comfortable with operating at the most senior levels across diverse business cultures having led global operations in difficult economic and geopolitical environments. In building her Board portfolio, Birgit has focused on industrial groups outside the automotive industry, with a sustainability angle.

Board skills and competencies

Birgit brings deep experience across global procurement and supply chain management to the Board. Alongside this, she has significant insights into the development and management of international JVs, having led Ford’s key European JVs. She also has a strong track record and an ongoing interest in developing, mentoring and coaching key talent and encouraging women in particular to consider a career in STEM. She has worked in the US and Germany and brings profound experience of working with unions and works councils.

Stuart Bradie

Independent Non-Executive Director

Member of the Nominations, Culture & Governance and Safety, Energy Transition & Tech Committees

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 11 May 2023

Nationality

British

Career highlights

Stuart is a forward-thinking chief executive with more than 30 years of broad, international experience across numerous industries. His early career was marked by strong performance in operational and commercial delivery roles within technically orientated businesses, including leading global operations in more than 40 countries. He is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of KBR, a provider of high-end, differentiated science, technology and engineering solutions for governments and companies around the world.

Board skills and competencies

Stuart brings to the Board a reputation for building strong relationships and for successfully driving comprehensive organizational transformation. Over the past nine years, Stuart has guided KBR through such an evolution, prioritizing a focus on people alongside strong execution and commercial discipline. Under his watch, KBR now delivers disruptive, sustainable technologies, deep domain expertise, and digital transformation solutions that are helping address areas of growing global importance, including climate change, national security, energy transition and security, and space exploration.

Alongside this transformation, Stuart has sought to use safety and a focus on ESG as a way to deliver culture change and helping to make KBR the number one in its peer group in delivering against its ESG agenda.

Paulo Cesar Silva

Independent Non-Executive Director

Member of the Nominations, Culture & Governance and Safety, Energy Transition & Tech Committees

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 1 September 2023

Nationality

Brazilian

Career highlights

Paulo brings extensive experience in the aerospace industry, having worked for over 25 years at Embraer, the third largest commercial jets manufacturer. He was president & CEO of Embraer’s commercial aviation division, before becoming president & CEO of the Group in 2016. During his tenure, he led major strategic change, successful innovation in product development and programmes, significant improvement in operational efficiency and supply chain optimisation and successful industry partnerships.

Board skills and competencies

Paulo brings deep expertise in the aerospace industry, a broad international mindset and an appetite for growth, change and innovation. Alongside this, he brings a wealth of strategic, commercial and operational experience to the Board’s discussions. He also brings considerable finance experience having spent his early career in senior finance roles.

Lord Jitesh Gadhia

Independent Non-Executive Director

Chair of the Remuneration Committee
Member of the Nominations, Culture & Governance and Audit Committees

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 1 April 2022

Nationality

British

Career highlights

Jitesh Gadhia has extensive experience of a wide range of industries and partnership structures from his time as an executive in the banking and private equity sector; where he held senior roles at Blackstone, Barclays Capital and ABN AMRO. He is a member of the UK-India Advisory Council and also chair of the British Asian Trust, which tackles poverty, inequality and development challenges in South Asia through the use of social finance.

Jitesh is the senior independent director of Taylor Wimpey plc, where he has been a non-executive director since March 2021 and chair of the remuneration committee since April 2022, a non-executive director of Compare the Market Limited, where he chairs the remuneration committee and a non-executive director of Accord Healthcare. He is a non-executive director of the Court of Directors of the Bank of England. Jitesh has served as a non-executive director of UK Government Investments, where he stepped down in spring 2022 and, until its acquisition in 2021, was senior independent director of Calisen plc.

Board skills and competencies

Jitesh brings a wealth of complex advisory and transactional experience to the Board, having spent nearly 25 years in the banking and private equity sector. He has extensive remuneration experience, earned from both listed companies and UK Government Investments and UK Financial Investments, where he played a key role in compensation discussions about the Government’s investments in some of the UK’s biggest companies. This, together with his broad industry experience, is an asset to the Board and the Remuneration Committee.

Beverly Goulet

Independent Non-Executive Director

Member of the Nominations, Culture & Governance, Audit and Remuneration Committees
Rolls-Royce North America Holdings, Inc., board member
Employee Champion

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 3 July 2017

Nationality

American

Career highlights

Bev has a wealth of industry-specific and non-executive experience. She currently sits on the board of one other listed company and was a key member of the American Airlines executive team until her retirement in 2017. She was heavily involved in the negotiation of American’s merger with US Airways, and as executive vice president and chief integration officer, was responsible for the subsequent integration. Prior to this, Bev was chief restructuring officer coincident with American’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. In this role, she successfully led the restructuring programme concentrating on revenue maximisation, cost reduction and balance sheet strength. Bev joined American Airlines in 1993 as associate general counsel – corporate finance after 13 years as a practicing corporate and securities lawyer.

Bev graduated from the University of Michigan, receiving both a Bachelor of Art’s degree and a Juris Doctor degree.

Board skills and competencies

Having spent a considerable amount of her career in the airline industry, Bev brings valuable knowledge and operational experience to the Board. She has significant expertise in finance, treasury, strategy, legal and governance matters. She has the expertise and experience to be able to confidently contribute to decision making and actively take part in developing and strengthening our businesses.

Nick Luff

Independent Non-Executive Director

Chair of the Audit Committee
Member of the Nominations, Culture & Governance Committee

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 3 May 2018

Nationality

British

Career highlights

Nick is currently chief financial officer at RELX plc, a FTSE 100 company and global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers. Nick has played a key role in driving shareholder returns at RELX as the company has transformed its business and simplified its corporate structure. Nick is also an experienced non-executive director; he was audit committee chair and a non-executive director of Lloyds Banking Group plc from 2013 to 2017 and of QinetiQ Group plc, the defence, aerospace and security services company, between 2004 and 2010. Before joining RELX in 2014, then Reed Elsevier, Nick was group finance director of Centrica plc from 2007 and managed the group’s finances as it increased its power and gas investments substantially. Nick also spent many years with the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) Group, most recently as CFO. During his tenure at P&O, Nick oversaw the demerger of the cruise business in 2000; he played a key role as the cruise company was subject to a takeover bid which culminated in the creation of the first ever UK-US dual listing; and he was driving significant shareholder value as P&O completed a significant restructuring in 2003 and was then subject to competing takeover offers. Nick started his career with KPMG.

Board skills and competencies

Nick is an experienced finance executive having been chief financial officer of a number of listed companies across a variety of industries. He has broad financial skills and a track record of driving business performance. His extensive non-executive and audit committee experience, together with both financial and accounting expertise and a passion for engineering, is crucial in his role as Chair of the Audit Committee and is invaluable to the Board.

Wendy Mars

Independent Non-Executive Director

Chair of the Safety, Energy Transition & Tech Committee
Member of the Nominations, Culture & Governance and Remuneration Committees
Employee Champion

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 8 December 2021

Nationality

British

Career highlights

Wendy is an experienced global technology leader who brings expertise in digitisation, automation and data, across a broad range of businesses. She was President of Cisco’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA) until September 2023, driving technology transformations and sustainability for customers in all sectors. Prior to joining Cisco, Wendy worked at ThruPoint, a global consultancy and provider of technology solutions, serving as their CTO having begun her career in IT with Morgan Stanley. Wendy is an engineer by training and has a masters in Operational Research.

Board skills and competencies

As a leader, Wendy has overseen diverse teams across sales, engineering and innovation in 123 countries. She brings experience and insight across hardware, software and services with technological transformation of complex global organisations at her core. Wendy's knowledge of both the technical steps needed to foster innovation in a technology company as well as the challenging realities of its implementation in organisations at different stages of their transformation journey is invaluable to the Board and the Group as a whole. Technology can play a significant role in not only digitising business but also helping businesses to achieve their sustainability objectives; Wendy brings this experience to the Board.

Dame Angela Strank

Independent Non-Executive Director

Member of the Nominations, Culture & Governance and Safety, Energy Transition & Tech Committees

Tenure

Appointed to the Board on 1 May 2020

Nationality

British

Career highlights

Dame Angela is an experienced non-executive director and was one of the most senior female executives in the energy industry, having served on the executive team at BP. Angela joined BP in 1982 and retired in December 2020. She held many senior leadership roles across the group in finance, technology, business development, as chief of staff, and most recently as chief scientist and head of downstream technology.

In 2017, Dame Angela was awarded a Damehood for services to the oil industry and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In 2018, she was the first woman to receive the UK Energy Institute's Cadman Award for outstanding contribution to the oil and gas industry and in 2010 Dame Angela won the UK First Women's Award in Science and Technology. Dame Angela holds honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Royal Holloway University of London and the University of Bradford and is an honorary professor of earth sciences at the University of Manchester. She is a fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Royal Academy of Engineers, the Royal Society, and Honorary Fellow of the Energy Institute.

Board skills and competencies

Dame Angela brings a wealth of corporate experience to the Board and a proven track record in managing engineering operations and driving technology, science and engineering research programmes. Having actively worked in climate research and pioneering women in STEM careers, sustainability and corporate ethics are key areas of interest. As a member of the Safety, Energy Transition & Tech Committee, Dame Angela draws on her experience as a member of two other listed companies’ sustainability committees which is invaluable to the Group as it develops its sustainability strategy.