PHD Industrial Holdings bolsters senior leadership team with appointment of Tom Soar
PHD Industrial Holdings (PHD) has strengthened its senior team with the appointment of Tom Soar as Commercial Director, further enhancing its leadership across its growing portfolio of businesses.
Tom brings over 25 years of industry experience to the role and is both a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers. His career spans senior positions at leading organisations, including McKinsey and GKN, primarily within the automotive and aerospace sectors, where he also completed extended secondments in France and Brazil.
He went on to lead the establishment and scale-up of the engine assembly factory for McLaren Automotive, followed by an operational turnaround for a United Technologies Corporation composites facility. More recently, Tom held Managing Director roles at two automotive companies, overseeing strategic, commercial, and operational performance.
With this breadth of experience, Tom is ideally placed to support PHD’s expanding group of businesses, working closely with platform companies to develop and deliver strategies that drive growth through commercial and operational excellence. His focus on value creation will also be a key differentiator for PHD in attracting new businesses to the group.
His appointment adds to the high level of experience within the PHD team, which collectively has over 100 years of experience working with founder-led and entrepreneurial businesses. It also follows a period of growth for the group, including the recent acquisition of Tolbest Ltd, a leading manufacturer and supplier of tracing dyes, further strengthening PHD’s Speciality Chemicals Division.
Philip Price, director, said: “The appointment of Tom is a great addition to the PHD team. With significant experience leading major projects and businesses across many industrial sectors, his expertise will help drive growth and value creation across our group companies”.
By bringing in exceptional talent like Tom, we’re well-positioned to continue making strategic acquisitions, help founders transition ownership and support our businesses to deliver their full potential”.
Tom Soar, commercial director, added: “It’s amazing to be joining such a dynamic and experienced team at PHD. Having worked across a range of industries and international markets, I understand the operational challenges that growing businesses face. This role presents an exciting opportunity to apply that experience to help PHD’s platform companies unlock further growth through commercial and operational excellence”.