Paxton appoints new senior leadership in response to global expansion

Paxton has recently appointed new senior leadership roles to support its rapid global expansion, encompassing company culture, finance function and manufacturing.

Adam Stroud, CEO, Paxton said: “I am pleased to appoint Nicola, Alex and Blair, into its new senior management roles.

“Each of them brings a high level of knowledge, capability and experience to their respective areas of the company.

“Paxton is on a journey and people are at the heart of our aspirations to become a global market leader. These senior appointments will contribute directly to the achievement of our goals.”

Paxton’s latest appointments

Nicola O’Donnell, named Chief People Officer to enhance employee experience

O’Donnell, previously in the role of HR Director for eight years and her team will continue to evolve the company’s workplace culture and enhance the employee experience.

The company has been recognised six times in the Best Companies to Work For list and The Sunday Times Top 100.

Earlier in 2023, they ranked 22nd overall as a desirable workplace in the UK and currently hold the second position in the manufacturing sector.

This year, the company plans to conduct its annual employee engagement survey to assess ongoing improvements and gather feedback from employees.

O’Donnell commented: “The survey gives us a chance to get insightful feedback from employees. It is important that we hear everyone’s vision for a world-class workplace.

“We are serious about constantly evolving and making Paxton one of the best places to work.”

Comprehensive benefits packages are crucial for businesses of all sizes.

Paxton acknowledges this and strives to remain competitive. Employees have access to various benefits, including healthcare plans, hybrid and flexible working options, subsidised fitness memberships and more.

O’Donnell added: “We need to always be curious and always be reviewing the benefits based on the population mix of our employees.

“We need to make sure they are fit for purpose across the diverse workforce that we have.

“We are introducing a leadership development programme to enhance employee experience, which aims to help managers further develop and train with world-class resources.”

Alex Clements as Finance Director to bolster international expansion efforts

Clements expressed: “I am immensely proud to be promoted to Paxton’s Finance Director. It is a path I have been working towards throughout my career.

“It is an especially exciting role to take on right now due to the business growing at such a fast pace. No two days are ever the same.”

Over the past year, Clements has collaborated closely with Paxton’s senior management team, offering financial insights that have facilitated the construction and development of new manufacturing facilities in Sussex, UK.

The Paxton Electronics Centre, situated adjacent to Paxton’s headquarters in Brighton, UK, is a significant addition.

Clements concluded: “In a nutshell, financial information is the story of any business. It tells us what happened and what we can plan for.

“I am so happy that the story of Paxton is to continue investing our profits into the businesses, growing our manufacturing capabilities and providing Paxton people with a world-class working culture.” 

Blair Bowen as Operations Director in response to increasing production demands

Since joining the company in 2022, Bowen has spearheaded various projects within the Manufacturing team aimed at enhancing production efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process.

Presently, Paxton’s manufacturing facilities adhere to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards, underscoring its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality and environmental responsibility.

Last year, Bowen and his team played a crucial role in the launch of the Paxton Electronics Centre, which included the implementation of new surface-mount and wave solder lines, as well as investments in new plastic injection moulding machines.

Bowen noted: “The Paxton Electronics Centre was a very successful project for our team last year.

“It involved gaining feedback from our people on the design of the building and the move to the site.

“It also gave us an opportunity to collaborate closely with various teams towards our common goal, which is to be a world-class technology manufacturer and support the needs of our customers.

“This year our focus is on plastic injection moulding, where we plan to start producing some of our own components using recycled plastic.

“This will improve our self-sufficiency and CO₂ emission on products that we manufacture such as readers and cabinets, further supporting our customers’ demand for Paxton products.”

Over the past decade, Paxton has experienced sustained international expansion, currently exporting access control products to more than 64 countries and with intentions to broaden its reach even further.