Before joining MCT as Chairman, Paul Lester was Chief Executive of VT Group, the support services company, since July 2002 having been a non-executive Board member since 1998. Previously, Paul was a Group Managing Director of Balfour Beatty plc. A graduate mechanical engineer, he has held a number of board or senior management positions in engineering and support services companies in both the UK and the US. He is currently a non-executive director of Chloride Group Plc and Invensys Plc. Paul is a former President of the Society of Maritime Industries and a former President of the Engineering Employers’ Federation.