Sharon Baylay-Bell named chair as PMC gears for global growth

PMC has appointed Sharon Baylay-Bell as its Non-Executive Chair, with outgoing founder Paul Mason remaining on the board as a Non-Executive Director.

The appointment comes shortly after BGF's recent minority investment in PMC, a move intended to support the company's growth and expansion in technology services for retail and direct-to-consumer brands across international markets.

Leadership transition

PMC, which provides consulting, professional services, digital engineering, and managed services to more than 120 clients in 24 countries, brings Baylay-Bell on board to build on its established market position. The company's team of 500 employees, based in the UK and India, serves clients such as WHSmith, National Express, Primark, Crew Clothing, and World Duty Free.

Baylay-Bell has held a variety of leadership positions during her career, including 16 years at Microsoft, where she served as Director of the company's International Online business. She later became Chief Marketing Officer at the BBC and has since developed a portfolio career with board positions in listed firms and private equity-backed businesses.

Her recent roles include serving as Chair of BGF-backed DriveWorks, which was acquired by Bechtle AG, a technology group headquartered in Germany with annual revenues of EUR €6 billion. Other Chairperson roles held by Baylay-Bell include Ted Baker, Restore, FSP, and Catalis Group.

Board experience and backing

The appointment of Baylay-Bell follows BGF's recent multi-million-pound investment in PMC. The introduction was facilitated through the BGF Talent Network, noted as being one of the largest groups of board-level non-executives in the UK and Ireland.

"PMC has an excellent reputation for its deep sector expertise, trusted partnerships, and commitment to customer success. It's an exciting time to be joining, as the company builds on the momentum of its recent WHSmith managed services win and prepares to launch a new digital service for commerce. I look forward to working with the Board and leadership team to help steer PMC through this next phase of ambitious growth."

Baylay-Bell's experience in marketing, technology, and business scale-up is expected to support PMC as it seeks to grow its presence and service offerings further within the sector.

Founder's continued involvement

Paul Mason, who founded PMC in 2001, steps down from his role as Chair but will remain active as a Non-Executive Director. He commented on the company's ongoing development and his confidence in the team's direction.

"PMC was founded with a clear mission, to work closely with our customers to deliver meaningful, lasting change. I'm incredibly proud of what our people and clients have achieved together, guided by a shared ethos of always doing the right thing. With a renewed strategic focus and the backing of BGF, we're entering an exciting new chapter. Sharon's extensive experience and collaborative approach will undoubtedly accelerate our progress. We have a highly capable Board and Management team who are energised by these recent developments and I'm genuinely excited for what lies ahead."

Backing from BGF

Investment firm BGF expressed its support for the appointment. Duncan Wade, Investor at BGF, highlighted Baylay-Bell's track record of supporting growth and value creation for companies.

"We're delighted to welcome Sharon to the position of Chair at PMC. She brings a proven track record of supporting growing businesses and adds tremendous value at both strategic and operational levels. With PMC entering an exciting new phase of growth, her appointment comes at exactly the right time."

PMC's strategic plans focus on further expansion in technology services to retail and direct-to-consumer customers worldwide, supported by a strengthened board and continued investment backing.