Element Materials Technology has announced that its current chief financial officer, Jo Wetz, will succeed Charles Noall as Element’s chief executive officer as of December 31, 2019. This follows Noall’s decision to retire from his executive role after 17 years leading the group.
 
In his previous role as an investor at 3i, Wetz alongside Noall, led the original buyout of Element in 2010 before joining the group in 2012 as chief financial officer. In his eight years at Element, Wetz has been instrumental in growing the group from 23 locations across five geographies with 600 employees to Element’s position today as a fast growing privately-held testing businesses, with almost 200 locations operating in more than 30 countries with almost 7,000 employees.
 

Together with Noall, Wetz led the sale of Element to Bridgepoint in 2016, the subsequent take-private of the Exova Group in 2017, a $1 billion transaction which doubled the size of the group, and at the end of 2018 concluded the transaction that welcomed Temasek as a significant minority shareholder.
 
“I am delighted that Jo is taking on the role of CEO,” said Allan Leighton, Element’s chairman. “This leadership transition is a great example of succession planning and will provide strong continuity as Element pursues its vision of becoming the world’s most trusted testing partner.”
 
Noall’s career spans 40 years, with a number of roles in the European aerospace industry before he joined Stork in 1991, rising to become the chief executive of its testing division, Stork Materials Technology. Following the management buyout of Stork Materials Technology in 2010, the company was rebranded as Element in 2011 and Noall led the subsequent transformation of the group.
 
Leighton, said, “I want to pay tribute to Charles’s immense contribution to the development of Element since its inception in 2010. His leadership focus and clarity of purpose have helped to build a powerful brand with a great reputation; a strong culture; high levels of customer loyalty; sector-leading growth year on year; and a valuation that is one of the highest in the sector.”