Ralph was educated at state schools in Batley and York. The first person in his family to attend University, he won sponsorship from ICI plc in 1965 before going to King’s College, University of Cambridge. After 4 years he returned with an M.Eng. to ICI in NE England. From 1969 to 1987 he had a variety of roles in design, production, licensing and research, moving to Dumfries, Clitheroe and back to the Tees Valley.
He attended the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD in Fontainebleau in 1980 before becoming responsible for the Quorn business in 1987, where he negotiated the buy-out of RHM’s share of the RHM/ICI Joint Venture and built the business and brand in 6 countries.
When ICI cut itself in half, Quorn became part of Zeneca plc, then clearly intent on becoming pharmaceuticals only. This was a good time for pastures new and Ralph joined an American food ingredient company in 1995 initially in the UK with responsibility for facilities in several countries.
During this period 50 businesses were acquired and integrated into a focused business with a new name, Sensient Technologies (NYSE: SXT).
After defending one acquisition before the UK Competition Commission, Ralph moved to Singapore in 2000 with responsibility for Sensient’s businesses throughout Asia Pacific and then in 2004 to the US with global responsibility.
Following retirement in 2008, he has invested in and undertaken NED Chair roles in a number of early-stage, mostly med-tech companies. He is a Director of a MAT, which has grown to 42 schools and 32,000 students, and chairs the audit committee. He has also consulted for blue-chips on M&A.
For the last 25 years in SXT and as a NED, Ralph’s principal contribution has been in coaching business leaders to succeed.
Married for more than 50 years, he has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Family, rowing, classic cars, NED roles, schools, and supporting the King’s Trust and the Institute of Directors now occupy his time.
