The team behind the packaging

We’ve built a strong and experienced team with diverse skills. Together we bring a range of industry-leading expertise, perfect to create planet positive packaging for a world of applications.

Board of directors

Greg Nugent

Chair of the Board

Greg runs his own influential communications agency and is founder of HTYT films, which has produced a major film, Rising Phoenix, about the history of the Paralympics on Netflix.

Held roles as Marketing Director of Eurostar and Board Marketing Director of London 2012 Olympics, Non-Executive Director of the Co-operative group, and led its successful rebranding.

Is currently Chair of Nottingham Board for Culture and Creativity.

Greg has had an immeasurable impact on the strategy, direction and branding of the company.

Paul Gilligan

Co-founder/CEO

Leads the company’s vision and implementation of strategy. Brings a wealth of international management experience across a broad range of industries from construction to food retailing.

Has built the MMC team and gained experience of managing large teams spending 14 years at Sainsbury’s in a range of senior roles, winning a number of industry awards.

His business recently sold a UK-manufactured sustainable security fence to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which won the Queen’s Award for innovation.

Recently awarded an Innovate UK grant leading to patent file and is listed as inventor.

Ryszard Bublik

Non-executive Director and Strategy Advisor

Acts as strategy advisor and Non-Executive Director, has more than 25 years of advisory experience.

Started his career in investment banking before joining international advisory firm Brunswick focusing on financial transactions and crisis work.

Has extensive experience of developing growth strategies that will deliver value to shareholders. Most recently he founded technology company Social360.

Ryszard is a key strategic advisor to the board and an expert in company financing.

Dr Sally Beken

Non-executive Director

Acts as Non-Executive Director and is an industry expert advising MMC on policy’s, environmental accreditation and funding.

Knowledge Transfer Manager in materials team at KTN with polymers a speciality and also Network Manager for the UK Circular Plastics.

Delivered cleaner growth as Innovation Lead at Innovate UK for the Sustainable Smart Plastic Packaging Challenge.

Former freelance polymer consultant focusing on polymer technology with PhD in Polymer chemistry.

Andrew Crimmings

Non-executive Director and Lead Investor

Founder, owner and has run successful business Calfe Crimmings, a specialist plaster finishing contractor in the construction market, for more than 20 years.

Will provide help provide strategy to MMC, on new construction fields of use and represents the investors as investor chair with a vote on board motions.

Key member of the board and has assisted in the successful restructuring of MMC.

Leadership

Gavin McIntyre

Senior Scientific Advisor

Key advisor/mentor to MD and advises Magical Mushroom Company on the complex science of growing Mushroom® Packaging.

The Co-founder and Director of Business Development of Ecovative Design LLC, and has led all mycological material and biological process development in the company's strides to replace synthetics.

Oversaw research and development during Ecovative’s early product launches, and is a listed inventor on more than two dozen of the company's issued and pending patents.

Jon Hartland

Senior Board Advisor

Has acted as board and leadership advisor since company inception.

On recent retirement was Sainsbury’s longest-serving director and held a number of senior roles including interim Board Retail Director, with financial and operational responsibilities for 1,650 stores.

Joint chair of the Sainsbury’s Veterans and Chair of Sainsbury’s archive and new museum project.

Has been inspirational in guiding the team on process, leadership, company scorecard, values, performance management and management structure.

Peter Lumley-Savile

Legal Consultant and Contracts

Responsible for contracts, intellectual property, and all other legal aspects for the Magical Mushroom Company and sites as an advisor MMC Holding International Ltd and MMC Europe boards.

Peter is a commercial lawyer with experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts across a wide range of industries and sectors.

Has particular experience in advising on and drafting contracts in the technology, publishing and media, commercial insurance, hotels and leisure, retail, manufacturing and technology spaces, as well as in intellectual property and consumer protection.

Ziggy Fried

Head of Digital

Responsible for managing our end-to-end digital technology choices, cloud infrastructure and process data integration.

A highly skilled technologist with more than 25 years of experience and is leading the Magical Mushroom Company’s new online shopping presence.

Helped build Harvey Nichols’ in-house digital platforms, team structure and the running its global e-commerce platforms and is now focusing on leading the Mushroom ® Packaging e-commerce channel.

Management team

Eddie Ford

Plant and Operations Manager, Esher, UK

Spent two decades in the horticulture industry, including managing a busy garden centre and running his own successful business for 10 years.

A pivotal member of the senior management team with responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the Esher plant and oversees the team to make sure the production process is always on target.

Liaises with clients when projects move into the growing stage. His energy and attention to detail make him a popular figure with clients and the MMC team.

Played a vital role in designing and embedding the growing process and also responsible for implementing growing and quality process into new UK and EU plants.

Natasha Walker

Business Development Manager and Account Manager

Experienced Business Development Manager with 10 years of experience working with European and U.S. companies helping them access foreign markets.

Focused on customer relations and development of strong sales structures, ensuring business is driven by environmentally friendly standards and sustainability.

MSC in Nutrition and Public Health and background in consulting roles with B2B companies in FMCG and sports-related products.

Will lead the company sales direction toward repeats sales and large-scale manufacturing.

Ryan Little

Industrial Product Designer

Has been responsible for designing all packaging solutions for clients since company inception and produces initial moulds for growing prototypes and supplies clients with everything from detailed Augmented Reality renderings to fabrication drawings.

Twenty years of experience in 3D modelling and experienced Design Development Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. Skilled in AutoCAD, Photography, Graphics.

Wealth of knowledge in free form and geometric shape designs and recently listed as co-inventor on a patent file for Innovate UK grant.

Marco Andreoni

Director, Europe

Marco manages operations in Europe for MMC, opening new production sites and optimising existing ones.

Graduated from the Politecnico di Milano in Management Engineering, specialising in production and logistics

Has many years of experience as Sourcing/Production Manager in Decathlon, Carrefour (Italy, Spain, UK, France, Brazil).

In recent years, Marco has worked for various European clients on the development of automation solutions and industrial processes that can increase productivity, reduce costs or improve quality, always maintaining the imprinting of customer service derived from retail trade.

Stuart Townsend

Project Manager, New Plant Openings

Stuart is responsible for identifying sites along with the procurement and commissioning of all plant and manufacturing assets for all new Plant openings in the UK and Europe, where MMC have exclusive rights for MycoCompositeTM packaging.

Will oversee all phases of the plant opening process, making sure new MMC plant projects are opened and operational on time and within scope and budget.

Brings to the role extensive experience with over 30 years in the food retailing sectors, having held several senior positions in a variety of roles, including marketing, head of corporate internal communications, project management along with managing large flagship Sainsbury’s stores and extensive new store openings with teams of over 600 people.

Alison Kealy

Lead Technician, Esher, UK

Alison is responsible for leading and training the growing number of technicians under the leadership of MMC’s plant manager.

Has particular responsibility for achieving a consistent growth quality, in line with customer expectations an agreed and documented bespoke specification.

Deputies for Plant Manager, helps the production team operate, set up, clean and troubleshoot equipment and records information ensuring all required procedures are followed to grow the perfect product for our customers.

Jeanette Branwhite

Assistant Manager – Compliance

Jeanette is responsible for assisting the MD in promoting, implementing and developing MMC safety culture within the Esher plant so we meet all requirements in terms of fire, health, safety and standard operating procedures for environmental compliance and laboratory data capture and recording.

Extensive experience in compliance at both unit and operations level with 15 years with Compass, Sodexo & CH&Co group in Food and Health & Safety processes.

Sacha Storrie

Finance Executive

Sacha assists the Group Financial Controller in overseeing the company’s financial data, processes along with responsibility for accounts receivable and payable.

With more than 15 years’ experience of financial management in advisory and technology sectors, primarily with start-ups and fast-growth businesses, Sacha brings key understanding of the processes and requirements for a business as it evolves.

Consultancy

Ollie Boyd

Co-founder

Ollie has more than 20 years of experience in design leadership roles and a proven track record in delivering award-winning solutions for leading global brands, including the successful design and launch of VW Group's first-ever direct-to-consumer retail channel.

Played a key role in the inception and set up of the Magical Mushroom Company and led the company’s early design direction.

Emma Brogi

Co-founder

Emma’s passion for sustainability led to her interest in the unique properties of mycelium and the formation of the Magical Mushroom Company.

Has a deep interest in natural products and the beneficial properties of plants and worked for over 10 years in the field of complementary therapies.

Gabby Bennett

PR Consultant

Gabby leads MMC’s communications through AD Communications agency in, Esher, UK.

An experienced consumer PR professional with an excellent track record conceiving and delivering campaigns that achieve positive brand awareness and product sales. Twenty years’ experience in delivering high-impact PR for Sky.

Has wide-ranging experience advising and influencing senior stakeholders up to CEO, CTO and CMO.

Graham S. Norton

Manages Projects & Financial Reporting

A programme management professional, a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (DipM MCIM) and Introductory APM. In addition, excellence in integrated financial modelling for support of fundraising, strategic and business plans, and acquisitions.

Played a key role since inception in supporting MMC management, defining and delivering financial planning and responsible for managing all project reporting.

Recent corporate experience was strategy development at multinational Cape plc, Coffee Republic plc.

Dr Mark Thornton

Consultant Scientist – Process

Leads the Magical Mushroom Company in R&D around grant submission and execution of the company’s microbiology protocol controls.

Has PhD in Cell Biology and Pharmacology from Imperial College London and MSc in Cell &Structural Biology from University of Manchester.

Professional experience spans lab-based scientific research, new product planning and corporate strategy.

Lisa Stanger

Senior HR/OD Leadership Consultant

Lisa has played a pivotal role in helping define MMC’s HR strategy, values, company scorecard and performance management process. Assists the MD in leading the business and cultural plan and ensuring that MMC becomes an employer of choice.

Has a proven track record of working with CEOs as part of board and leadership teams to address future growth opportunities and successfully align business and people plans ensuring future organisational performance and sustainability.

Spent 11 years at the UK Coal Authority reporting to the CEO, and on the TCA Board, accountable for driving the business strategy, responsible for the delivery of the transformation programme and performance measurement against plan.