Richard Smith brings over 30 years of experience in financial and operational leadership across technology companies. He has a strong track record of driving performance, operational rigour and change in fast-moving, growth-stage and public technology businesses.

Richard has held senior CFO and operational roles in venture capital-backed start-ups, private equity-backed scale-ups and larger public companies. He brings deep expertise in mergers and acquisitions, having led multiple transactions during his tenure at Imagination Technologies Plc, and oversaw the sale of WaveOptics to Snap Inc. in 2021.

At Plessey, Richard leads the finance, IT, supply chain and quality functions, ensuring the operational foundations and controls are in place to support the company’s growth. He holds an MBA, is a Chartered Accountant, and has an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge.