Directors' Biographies

The Company and the Group are committed to high standards of corporate governance and the Board is accountable to the Company's shareholders for good corporate governance.

Paul Walker, Chief Executive
Paul Harrison, Group Finance Director
Paul Stobart, CEO, UK and Ireland
Guy Berruyer, CEO, Mainland Europe and Asia
David Clayton, Group Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions Director
Tony Hobson, Chairman and Non-executive Director
Tim Ingram, Senior Independent Director
Tamara Ingram, Independent Non-executive Director
Ruth Markland, Independent Non-executive Director
Ian Mason, Independent Non-executive Director
Mark Rolfe, Independent Non-executive Director

Paul Walker, Chief Executive

Paul joined Sage as company accountant in 1984 having previously trained as a chartered accountant with Arthur Young. He was appointed Finance Director in 1987 and became Chief Executive in 1994. In May 2002, Paul was appointed to the Board of Diageo plc as a Non-executive Director.

Paul Harrison, Group Finance Director

A chartered accountant, Paul moved from Price Waterhouse where he was a senior manager responsible for the provision of audit and advisory services to larger private and public companies, to become Group Financial Controller of Sage in 1997. He joined the Board as Group Finance Director in April 2000. He is also a Non-executive Director of Hays plc.

Paul Stobart, CEO, UK and Ireland

After qualifying as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse, Paul spent five years in corporate finance with Hill Samuel before joining Interbrand, an international marketing services consultancy, in 1988. He joined Sage in 1996 as Business Development Director becoming Managing Director of UK and Ireland in June 2003. In July 2003, Paul was appointed to the Board of Capital & Regional plc as a Non-executive Director and was until 1st December 2006 a Non-executive Director of Planit Holdings plc.

Guy Berruyer, CEO, Mainland Europe and Asia

Guy was a director of Bull and Claris before joining Intuit as Country Manager and then European Director. He joined Sage in 1997 and was appointed to the Board in January 2000. As well as Mainland Europe, Guy is also responsible for our operations in the Far and Middle East.

David Clayton, Group Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions Director

After a career in senior executive roles at a number of international technology companies, David joined BZW in 1995 where, after its merger with CSFB in 1997, he was Managing Director and Head of European Technology Research until 2004. He joined the Board in June 2004 as a Non-executive Director before taking up his current executive role on 1 October 2007.

Tony Hobson, Chairman and Non-executive Director

Tony is the Chairman of Northern Foods plc and a director of HBOS plc ( where he chairs the Audit Committee ) and Glas Cymru. He is also a Director of Cenkos Securities plc which is admitted to AIM. He was previously Group Finance Director of Legal & General Group plc for fourteen years retiring in 2001 ; and the Senior Independent Director of Thames Water plc, prior to its acquisition by RWE in 2000. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia.

Tim Ingram, Senior Independent Director

Tim is Chief Executive of Caledonia Investments plc. He was formerly Managing Director of Business to Business Banking at Abbey National plc. He is a Non-executive Director of Savills plc and was appointed to the Group Board in March 2002.

Tamara Ingram, Independent Non-executive Director

Tamara, who joined the Board in December 2004 is responsible for WPP plc's Proctor & Gamble business worldwide. She is also CEO for advertising group Grey UK, and chairman of Visit London.

Prior to Grey, Tamara was President of the Henley Centre and marketing insights company Added Value. Previously, Tamara worked at Saatchi & Saatchi for 15 years, rising to the role of Executive Chairman, UK.

Ruth Markland, Independent Non-executive Director

Ruth is also a Non-executive Director of Standard Chartered plc and Chairman of the Board of Trustees WRVS. She was formerly Managing Partner Asia for the international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and was appointed to the Group Board on 13th September 2006.

Ian Mason, Independent Non-executive Director

Ian joined the Board on 1 November 2007. He holds an MBA from INSEAD. After working with McKinsey & Co. and Boston Consulting Group, he joined Electrocomponents Plc in 1995 as Director of Business Development, becoming Group Chief Executive in July 2001.

Mark Rolfe, Independent Non-executive Director

Mark joined the Board on 1 December 2007. After qualifying as a chartered accountant with Coopers and Lybrand, Mark joined Gallaher Group plc in 1986, where he was Finance Director for seven years retiring in 2007. He is also a Non-executive Director of Hornby plc and Barratt Developments Plc.