Rigby Group Board
Sir Peter Rigby
Chairman and Founder
One of the UK’s most respected and successful business leaders, Sir Peter Rigby is a serial entrepreneur.
He launched the founding company for Rigby Group with a £2,000 loan in 1975, growing it into one of the country’s largest privately owned business groups, with operations across the Technology, Aviation, Hotel, Real Estate, and Finance sectors, and a turnover of £4bn.
Playing an active economic and philanthropic role in the communities in which his companies operate, Sir Peter has chaired the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which promotes business and industry growth in the area. He is also a trustee of several charities including The Rigby Foundation. In 2002 Sir Peter was knighted for his contribution to IT and business, while in 2021 he became the first British businessman ever to be awarded the Legion d'honneur.
James Rigby
Co-Chief Executive Officer
James joined the family business in 1994. Today, James heads up SCC, the Group’s technology services business, overseeing its operations in the UK, France, Spain, Romania and Vietnam. James is also co-CEO of Rigby Group and a trustee of the Rigby Foundation. Under James’ leadership, SCC has achieved consistent year-on-year growth, provided employment and development to thousands of people, supported regional economies and championed digital adoption for many organisations across the UK and Europe.
James’ ethos centres around growing skills, investing in people and communities, and ensuring the preservation of family values at the heart of the business. James is a fluent French speaker and is a Trustee of the United by Birmingham charity that works to ensure the legacy of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Steve Rigby
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Steve is Co-Chief Executive of Rigby Group. With over 30 years’ experience contributing to the growth of the Group, today he is responsible for leading strategy, finance and investments for the family in both the private and public markets. Steve sits on the boards of SCC, Rigby Technology Investments, Regional & City Airports, Rigby Real Estate, the Group’s hotel division, Nuvias Unified Communications, CloudClevr, Infinigate and Rigby Group.
Outside of Rigby Group, Steve is: Chair of the UK's Private Business Commission; Deputy Chair of Family Business UK (FBUK); a patron of the Entrepreneurs Network; a member of the Wall Street Journal CEO Council; a judge for EY Entrepreneur of the Year and the World Superyacht Awards; Chair of the Rigby Foundation; and a long term supporter of Place2Be, most recently as Chair of the charity’s development board. Steve has 3 children and lives in London and the Cotswolds with his wife. He is a keen sportsman, enjoying sailing, polo and tennis. To find out more visit www.steverigby.com.
Peter Whitfield
Chief Financial Officer
Peter joined the Rigby Group in 2000 and was appointed to the board in 2020 having previously held positions in the Technology division most recently as CFO for SCC EMEA. Peter leads the Group’s Finance and Assurance functions, is a member of the Group's Audit Risk and Remuneration Committee and of the Investment Committee. Peter has an active interest in promoting sustainability in the Group and has a long-standing personal commitment to leading UK environmental charities.
Peter is a chartered accountant, trained with KPMG and prior to joining the Group held finance roles at the Bridgestone Group and Barclays Bank.
George Campion
Non-Executive Director
George Campion joined the Rigby Group Board in 2010 as a non executive director after taking early retirement as a partner in Deloitte. He is Chairman of the Audit, Risk and Remuneration Committee for the Group. Before joining the Rigby Group, George spent over 30 years at Arthur Andersen/Deloitte, holding several client facing and management roles including Senior Partner in Birmingham and partner in charge of the tax practices in Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Outside the company, from 2010 to 2018 he held the position of Midlands Chairman, Regional Advisory Board for Aon Limited. George is currently Chairman of a mid-size regional law firm based in Stratford-upon-Avon. He also actively runs his own long-established real estate investment business as well as being Chairman and major shareholder in a merchant services business based in Shropshire.
Julie Mortimer
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & COMPANY SECRETARY
Julie is Rigby Group’s Director of Finance & Company Secretary with primary responsibility for central finance and assurance functions. Julie joined Rigby Group in 2014, and was previously financial controller for the Group’s SCC’s EMEA division. In her current role Julie’s key responsibilities include being a member of Rigby Group Board, the Audit, Risk and Remuneration Committee, and the Residual Value Committee. She also co-ordinates the annual enterprise risk reporting cycle.
FCA qualified having trained with PwC following a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at University College Oxford. Before joining Rigby Group Julie gained extensive experience with a number of large corporates including Npower, where she specialised in financial control and governance, and Volvo, where she headed up the UK Shared Service Function. Julie lives in Worcester with her husband and German shepherd and has 3 grown up children. Her interests include travelling, walking, gardening, reading and yoga.