Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd. has a new chief executive in place: David Bond has taken over the role long held by Dr. Graham Honeyman, who is remaining with the company in a consulting role as head of international business development.
Forgemasters produces large-scale open-die steel forgings and castings, as well as mill rolls, steel ingots and bars. It’s well known as a supplier of engineered structural parts for nuclear power, oil-and-gas, petrochemical, and process manufacturing systems.
“It has been my intention to step down from the role of CEO for some time now and to allow for a new management structure to take the business forwards,” Honeyman remarked. “David Bond will be joining us from BAE Systems as CEO from 1 August.
“My work at Sheffield Forgemasters will continue and I will work to help David with the transition, as he looks to take the business into new markets,” according to Honeyman.
Bond, who had been chief operating office with the multinational defense and aerospace manufacturer, holds a degree in Electronics and Computing from Liverpool University. He joined the group in 2002 as projects director for Future Systems, with responsibilities that included coordinating BAE Systems’ approach to missile defense across the enterprise. He helped to establish the joint U.K. Industry/ U.K. Government Missile Defence Centre.
Bond joined the BAE Systems Land business in 2005 as its program director responsible for developing and manufacturing armored fighting vehicles (AFV) with clients in the U.K. and Middle East. In 2010, he became responsible for AFV programs at BAE Systems Hägglunds, in Sweden, and then became managing director for BAE Systems Anglo-Swedish AFV businesses.
Forgemasters is planning more senior management changes, including a new chief financial officer, a new chief operating officer, and a company chairman. It recently named Brendan Kendrick as company sales director, and the other senior positions are expected in the coming weeks.
Honeyman is credited with establishing Sheffield Forgemasters as an independent, management- and employee-owned company in 2005. That year, he engineered a management buyout from the now-defunct Atchison Castings.