Our Team at the Top
Meet our leadership team. Each with their own area of expertise, they’ve got bags of experience in the commercial interiors and transportation industries, plus they’re textile experts and sustainability advocates. So all in all they're a great bunch to take us forward with vision into an exciting future in global markets.
Paul Barnard
Chairman
Paul joined Camira as Chairman in 2017, bringing with him a proven track of business leadership and strategic business development in global markets. A key player in supporting our team at the top, he works with the Board in ongoing strategic development and implementation across wider Group operations and commercial activities.
Starting out at Westland Helicopters, Paul progressed through a number of commercial roles before moving into general management. From here, he went on to hold leadership roles at Loctite Corporation and ITW – a Fortune 500 company – before moving to advisor and investor roles in the corporate world. Never one to stand still, Paul gained an MBA from the International Management Centres Association in 2001.
Equally driven in his personal life, Paul is actively involved in rugby, golf, shooting, skiing – as well as being a keen drum player. Spending three years as Chairman of Harrogate RUFC, he’s just as knowledgeable on the state of rugby union as he is on business development.
Alan Williams
Chief Executive Officer
Leading our organisation into a new era, Alan is responsible for the leadership, strategic direction and executive management of Camira Group. Having been part of the Camira team for nearly twenty years, he's the perfect person to take us forward into the next decade.
Beginning his career with a Masters degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Newcastle University, Alan went on to work as a Process Engineer at the global electronic company Philips. Following this, he moved to Owens Corning to become Operations Leader, before joining Camira’s predecessor Interface Fabrics in 2004. Quickly promoted to the position of Operations Director, Alan joined the board in 2005 and was part of the team which completed the management buyout from Interface to set up Camira in 2006.
For the past seventeen years, he has been responsible for establishing Camira as a centre of manufacturing excellence; from integrating transportation fabric capabilities into our manufacturing facilities to setting up our manufacturing operation in Lithuania, Alan has played an invaluable role in making our company everything it is today.
Anthony Croall
Commercial Director
We’re struggling to think of an area of the business that our highly versatile Commercial Director Anthony hasn’t been involved in since he joined us in 1998 – but it’s this wide range of experience and expertise that enables him to blend strategic thinking with practical application. He now takes Group Board accountability for corporate governance, acquisition due diligence, strategic purchasing, technical knitting, alongside looking after innovation, design and quality, customer service and marketing.
Beginning his career by completing a business diploma, Anthony was unsure of exactly what he wanted to do upon graduating. However, a happy accident led to him attending an interview for Leeds-based auditors Sagars, where he became an accountant and discovered his longstanding love of numbers. In fact, we’ve rarely seen him without his trusty Texas Instruments TI-508 calculator in the 20+ years we’ve known him, and his commercial talents are truly unparalleled.
Married to Deborah, Anthony has two boys, rarely seen, as you'd expect from one who is a teenager and one acts like a teenager!
William Russell-Smith
Chief Financial Officer
Providing financial leadership across the Camira Group, Will is responsible for guiding our strategic financial direction and ensuring sustainable, long-term growth.
With more than two decades of commercial finance experience and a BA (Hons) in Economics from Durham University Will has consistently delivered operational efficiency and financial resilience in demanding manufacturing and private equity environments. A chartered Management Accountant, he has held senior roles in leading industrial and engineering businesses, including Groupe Atlantic and David Brown Gear Systems. Most recently, as CFO as Easby Group, he led financial strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and the integration of acquired companies.
Since joining Camira, Will has brought a sharp commercial focus and a passion for driving business performance. With a collaborative leadership style and a clear view of both operational detail and long-term strategy, he plays a vital role in shaping Camira's financial future.
Originally from a farming background, Will worked on his family's farm into his early twenties and still there today. Will is also a lifelong rugby fan and former player (long since retried), and enjoys mountain biking, walking - any activity that gets him outside!
Ben Gray
Global Sales and Marketing Director
Ben brings more than 18 years of international commercial experience and a passion for building high-performing teams and delivering sustainable growth. As global Sales and Marketing Director, he leads Camira's global sales and marketing efforts - driving strategic direction, deepening customer relationships and unlocking new opportunities across our key markets.
Ben spent nearly two decades at Dyson, where he held senior leadership roles across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East - living and working in the region for seven years. His experience spans B2B, specification, and direct-to-customer channels, combining sharp commercial acumen with a clear, customer-first mindset. Since then, Ben has worked with businesses in the lighting and beauty tech sectors - supporting premium brands in reaching new audiences and entering new markets with clarity and purpose.
Away from work, Ben is a proud husband and father of three, who enjoys travelling with his family and making the most of time together. Calm, thoughtful, and commercially driven, he brings a grounded, people-focused approach to leadership and collaboration.
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