Boarding school

Rapid growth of a company can be a challenging process. The growing pains can be particularly acute with a technology start-up, where the firm needs to change the focus from technology development to customers, sales and commercial success.

Start-up managers need to be planning one or two stages ahead of the current position, while keeping a close focus on the day-to-day details. But it is hard to steer a ship from the engine room and the appointment of non-executive directors can bring valuable new perspectives.

has recently attracted three non-executives to the board, as the company prepares to launch its compressor design.

Non-executives can bring a technical perspective. They should focus on the big picture, act as a sounding board on the programme, and provide a reality check on budgeting and outcomes.

We have appointed Peter Watson as non-executive chairman. He is the former chief executive of AEA Technology and managed technology development at British Rail and GKN, so he is an engineer and an experienced business leader. His personal interest is in finding ways that engineering skills can address environmental issues — an approach that sits well with Lontra.