Robert J Montague CBE
Executive Chairman
Robert joined the board in December 2003 when the Group was formed. He is responsible for the overall management, strategic direction, and growth of the group. Robert has over 30 years experience in the transport industry. After spending 5 years with Esso, he joined his family's transportation business, and seeing the growth opportunities in containerisation and logistics, left in 1978 to set up Tiphook plc. In September 1995 Robert established Axis to take advantage of the growing market for swapbodies as an alternative to road transport in central Europe and has overseen Axis' growth to date.
Stephen Ball
Group Finance Director
Stephen joined the board in February 2004 and is responsible for overseeing the group's finance and administrative functions. He is a Chartered Accountant having trained with Coopers & Lybrand, qualifying in 1977. In the same year, he joined Reads & Co in Guernsey (which became part of BDO International in 1991) becoming a partner in 1982, specialising in fiduciary services. In 1995 Stephen left and formed the Sphere group of companies, which provides fiduciary services and consultancy advice to small and medium sized companies.
Heiner Mangels
Managing Director Germany
Heiner joined the plc board on 1st January 2007. Heiner is Managing Director of Axis Intermodal Deutschland GmbH, the Group's Cologne based swapbody contract hire company. Heiner has many years of international experience working with medium to large companies within or associated with the transport and logistics sector. He previously worked in a senior sales position with Schmitz-Anhanger and has developed export markets in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Clive Francis
Managing Director Marine Container Division
Clive joined the Board in September 2008. Clive is Managing Director of SeaAxis, the marine container division of Axis Intermodal. His role at SeaAxis will be to further develop and grow the marine container business that was launched 12 months ago. Clive Francis has over 17 years experience in the container leasing industry, most recently with Transamerica and TTL.
Nick Smith
Group Legal Director & Company Secretary
Nick joined the Board in May 2005. He is responsible for all Group legal and regulatory matters and is the Company Secretary of Axis Intermodal plc. Nick is a qualified solicitor and barrister and has extensive experience of working in the transport industry. From 1984 to 1994 Nick acted as Legal Director and Company Secretary for Tiphook plc where he oversaw the listing of that company on four stock exchanges as well as numerous acquisitions, including the bid for Sea Containers. Since 1994 he has held several senior positions including Director of Legal Affairs of Laporte plc. Nick is currently a non executive director of Unitas International Limited. He is also a Governor and Chairman of the Grants Committee, Sports Aid London.
Stephen Dexter
Non Executive Director
Stephen joined the board in May 2008. He is Chairman of the audit committee and a member of the remuneration committee. Stephen was a partner in Grant Thornton for many years before retiring in June 2007. He was an audit partner and active in the flotation of companies into the AIM market. He has also been active, currently and in the past, as a Non Executive Director or equivalent in both the public and private sector, including Oxford Brookes University, Central Laboratories Research Council, Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust and Abingdon and Witney College. He is both a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Director.