Our Team

Mike Thomas

Executive Chairman

After graduating from Oxford, Mike's early career was in advertising and marketing working for large multi-nationals across major brands including Coca Cola and Quaker Foods, Unilever, and Imperial Group (the Courage Brewing Division).

Mike moved into business consulting and soon became interested in food safety and quality through the different organisations he was associated with, culminating in becoming Chairman and owner of an Australian winery and wine wholesaling import business and CEO of the food safety business, CMi.

CMi was sold to NSF and Mike became CEO of their global food safety business, excluding the Americas. In 2013, Mike invested in a new food safety business FSSI, where he is chairman and CEO today.

Mike is also Chairman of a children's charity REACH, for Babies with amputations at birth, and has keen interests across opera, chamber music, art and rugby.

John Robinson

Executive Consultant

For the past 40 years John has worked in the retail agri-food sector and has been fortunate enough to have engaged and collaborated with some incredibly talented people and organisations

His strong background in Assurance especially across the Global Food Sector means John brings to the FSSI Group thought leadership, innovation and teamwork, all of which he believes are vital keys to success in managing risk proactively.

Jenny Cole

Commercial Director

Since joining the FSSI Group in 2011 to manage a major Retail contract, Jenny's current role as Commercial Director means she is involved in all aspects of the business, including the operational growth of the Group and assisting in the profitable management of projects and contracts. Jenny has been responsible for creating new work-streams to add value to our customers; including the identification and development of new business opportunities in our changing market place. Working closely with our Business Development Director, she also manages and oversees key accounts.

Jenny has worked in the world of Health, Safety & Environmental Management for more than 30 years and has knowledge and understanding of a broad range of compliance issues. She worked in the Construction Industry, implementing CDM regulations when they came into force; and thereafter held senior business development positions with two nationwide organisations working in the compliance areas of Fire, Water, Gas, Electricity, general H & S and of course, Food. During this time she led the introduction and management of Occupational Health programmes within the Public Sector.

Tim Burt

Operations Director

Tim is an experienced Global Project Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Skilled in Operations Management, Coaching, Team Building, Training Delivery, and Business Management, Tim is a strong commercially minded professional. He holds a PMQ focused in Project Management from the Association of Project Managers.

He still enjoys playing, coaching and watching rugby at all levels.

Mike Ridley

IT Director

Mike has been in the IT industry for 30+ years and has built a strong background in programming, software development, team leadership, application architecture, data management and data analysis, and has worked across global products and services in both hands-on and strategic roles. Mike has many years of experience engaging with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation (in both a technical and non-technical manner) and enjoys sharing knowledge, motivating and innovating.

As well as being a keen mountaineer and rock climber, Mike is also a qualified climbing wall instructor and enjoys teaching and inspiring newcomers to the sport.