Ricardo plc appoints Judith Cottrell as Chief Financial Officer

Ricardo plc, a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Judith Cottrell as Chief Financial Officer with effect from the end of September 2023. Judith will join the Company and the Board on the 1^st July.   

Ian Gibson will step down as Chief Financial Officer and from the Board, and this will take effect at the end of September 2023. Ian will remain with the Company to allow for a smooth transition of responsibilities following a thorough handover process and will continue until a date to be determined.

Judith, a former KPMG accountant, has more than 20 years’ experience working in senior financial and operational roles. She was previously the Group Finance Director for RPS, and, prior to that, she held various senior roles within the company, including Chief Executive of RPS’s UK & Ireland consulting business and Group Strategy Director. Before RPS, Judith worked at Ricardo as a Finance Director within our Automotive and Industrial business unit, having originally joined AEA Technology, which Ricardo acquired in 2012.

Mark Clare, Chairman of Ricardo, commented: “We are delighted that Judith is joining us at such an exciting time, as Ricardo accelerates its transformation to become a world-leading strategic and environmental consultancy in environmental and energy-transition solutions. Judith’s experience and her extensive knowledge make her an ideal choice as our new Chief Financial Officer and we look forward to welcoming her to the team.

“On behalf of the whole Board, I would also like to pay tribute to Ian’s achievements and extend my heartfelt thanks for his significant contributions to Ricardo over the past 10 years, all as Chief Financial Officer. Ian has been a trusted advisor to the Board and has supported both Graham and me when we joined the Company more recently.   He is held in the highest regard across the company for his steadfast leadership. Ian will always remain a valued and respected friend here at Ricardo, and we wish him the very best for the future.”

Media contacts:

Natasha Perfect, Ricardo natasha.perfect@ricardo.com

Elisabeth Cowell, SECNewgate ricardo@secnewgate.co.uk