David Richards, the Chief Executive Officer of environmental consultancy SLR Consulting, and its group, SLR Management Ltd, has passed away at home at the age of 55, the company has announced.
In a statement, SLR said that Richards passed away ‘unexpectedly’ on 6 November. It added that in line with the group’s ‘succession plans’, Neil Penhall, formerly Managing Director of SLR Consulting and an Executive Director of SLR Management, will assume the role of CEO with immediate effect.
Penhall commented: “I am deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected death of David, whom I have known for many years and worked closely with in SLR since 1995. On behalf of all at SLR, our thoughts and condolences are with David's family at this difficult time.”
Founder of SLR
A Chartered Engineer with a specialism in geology by profession, Richards was a senior manager with environmental consultants Golder Associates, where he was responsible for the management of the environmental group in the UK and its European operations.
In 1994, Richards founded environmental consultancy firm SECOR Ltd, which, following a management buyout by the senior management team in 2000, changed its name to SLR.
The company provides consultancy support on strategic and site-specific issues to business, regulatory and governmental clients. It specialises in the energy, mining and minerals, waste management, planning and development, infrastructure, and industrial sectors.
After the firm acquired a number of companies, including Waste Management Engineering Limited in 2005, it expanded its operations overseas, opening a network of offices in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Namibia, Singapore, South Africa, and the USA.
Richards was Chief Executive of the group, SLR Management Limited, and a director of a number of its subsidiaries with overall responsibility for the management of the group.
Penhall concluded: “Under David’s leadership, SLR has grown from a specialist UK focused business, with particular strength in the waste management sector, to a truly international environmental consultancy with strong market positions across multiple sectors and geographies. As a group, we are determined to build on David’s legacy by continuing the growth and development of SLR as David would have wished.”
Read more about SLR Consulting.
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