Phil Coles, formerly Director of Exova Health Sciences, has joined Eurofins as Managing Director of the firm's food and water testing business in the UK and Ireland.Coles has taken over from Graeme Risdon, who will be moving later in the year to lead Eurofins' food testing activities in Australia.
The appointment of Coles follows Eurofins' acquisition of Exova's food, water and pharmaceutical testing businesses in a £18 million (€23m) deal.
Ten laboratories and more than 300 staff have now joined the 11 Eurofins sites in the UK, and its global network of 250 laboratories across 39 countries.A senior executive with 20 years' experience across a wide range of businesses, Coles started his career as a Technical Manager in RHM before moving into executive management roles and running food businesses across many different disciplines and sectors.
He has experience of working in both private equity and plc environments.
'The acquisition of Exova's food, water and pharmaceutical businesses by Eurofins is an exciting sector opportunity and creates access for all of our customers to a significantly larger group of technical experts and an even broader range of food, water and pharmaceutical testing capabilities,' said Coles.
'Under Graeme's guidance in the UK, the business has developed into a highly regarded food testing organisation with access to Eurofins' team of leading global technical experts.
'I plan to build on these solid foundations with the wider offering that this acquisition now brings.'
