He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Smiths Group, a British multinational diversified engineering company, from 2007 to 2015.
Born in Australia, he was educated at Westminster School and earned a degree in natural sciences from Pembroke College, University of Cambridge.
From 1995 to 1996, he was finance director at retailer Coles Myer in Australia, leaving after he blew the whistle on a fellow executive who had diverted company funds to buy shares in a company he controlled.
From 1998 to 2005 he worked for Allied Domecq in the UK, rising to CEO in 1999, and oversaw the sale of the group to Pernod Ricard in 2006.
He was previously chairman of Liberty and Coral Eurobet, and a non-executive director of Scottish & Newcastle and British Sky Broadcasting.