Graham Love retired as Group Chief Executive of QinetiQ in November 2009 after a career with the company and its predecessor organizations spanning nearly 20 years, and including two privatizations, two highly successful private equity partnerships, and an IPO which saw the UKs previously government owned defense research agencies transformed into a major international company listed in the FTSE 250.
Mr. Love became Chief Executive Officer of QinetiQ in 2005. Prior to that he was Chief Financial Officer, and was also responsible for QinetiQs North American operations, leading a targeted acquisition program to create a substantial platform in the US defense and security markets.
Mr. Loves career has included management roles with Ernst & Young, KPMG and Shandwick plc, as well as several years in international consulting. In the late eighties he was part of the senior management team that made Shandwick plc the worlds number one PR group through a major acquisition program involving the purchase of over 30 public relations agencies worldwide. In 1992, Mr. Love joined the UK Governments Defense Research Agency as Finance Director and continued in the role when the agency expanded into DERA. In 1996 he led the management team in a private equity backed buyout of Comax, a support services company which was subsequently sold to Amey plc. Mr. Love rejoined DERA as CFO in 2001, playing a leading role in the formation of QinetiQ, the sale of a controlling interest to the Carlyle Group in 2003, and the IPO in 2006.
Mr. Love graduated from Cambridge University with an English degree. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Mr. Love also serves as Chairman of a number of private equity backed companies, including LGC Science Group, Eversholt Rail, 2e2 IT Services, and SLR Consulting Group.
Mr. Love takes a strong personal interest in the promotion of science and engineering careers amongst young people, and is a board member of both STEMNET and SEMTA. He is also chairman of Racing Green Cars, a high performance sports car specialist based in Hampshire, UK, and races classic cars as a hobby.
Expertise:
Strategic advice on mergers, acquisitions and private equity investments
Science and technology research, development, testing and evaluation
Technology transfer across government and private sectors
Previous Experience:
Chief Executive Officer, QinetiQ (2005 – 2009)
Chief Financial Officer, QinetiQ (2001 – 2005)
Chief Executive Officer, Comax Secure Business Services (1996 – 1999)
Finance Director, UK Defense Research Agency (1992 -1996)
