As Chairman, John Hughes leads the Board of Directors and works with management on strategic and other matters. He is also Chairman of the Nominations Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.
 
Mr Hughes has more than thirty years’ experience leading complex, high technology businesses operating at a global level from which to draw in his role for the Company. This has included senior executive positions at Thales Group (where he was latterly Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for an organisation with over 25,000 people), Lucent Technologies (where his responsibilities included being President of its worldwide GSM and UMTS businesses); and Hewlett‑Packard. Mr Hughes has significant experience of managing growth companies, especially those supplying complex solutions and services to business customers; of mergers and acquisitions; of international/channel expansion; and of development of leadership teams. He has lived and worked in the USA and mainland Europe as well as the UK. He is also non-executive Chairman of Spectris plc and Sepura plc, and a non-executive Director of CSG Systems International, Inc. and The Vitec Group plc. In addition, Mr Hughes is an Ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Mr Hughes was, until 2010, the non-executive Chairman of Intec Telecom Systems plc, a non-executive Director of Chloride Group plc, and non-executive Deputy Chairman of Parity Group plc. He holds a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Mr Hughes was awarded the CBE for services to international telecommunications in the Queen’s 2011 New Year Honours List.