BELFAST shipyard owner Harland & Wolff has appointed a Russian-born and Harvard-educated investment banker to its board.
Katya Zotova, who has 25 years’ experience in strategy and business development, investment banking and private equity, joins the board as non-executive director from September 1.
And the company's chief executive says as H&W moves from being a small company to a large company, Katya will help with the transition, where her guidance and experience in corporate governance will be invaluable.
Between 2014 and 2020, Katya was non-executive director for Vedanta Resources plc, a globally diversified natural resources company with revenues of more than $10 billion. She currently acts as an adviser at Antler, a global early-stage venture capital fund.
Until recently, she was managing director at Mizuho International PLC, a major financial services company, and she previously held positions as principal at LetterOne Energy LLP, principal at Pamplona Capital LLP, head of international acquisitions and divestments at Citigroup plc and various strategy and M&A roles at oil giant Shell.
Katya holds an MBA from Rotterdam School of Management and completed an executive programme in disruptive innovation from Harvard Business School.
In addition to being appointed as non-executive director of Harland & Wolff, Katya will chair the audit committee.
Group chief executive John Wood said: “Katya brings with her a wealth of knowledge across a number of functions - larger listed companies, private equity and banking. Her guidance to navigate ourselves towards a large business will be invaluable, and I warmly welcome her to the board.”
Harland & Wolff's Belfast yard is one of Europe’s largest heavy engineering facilities, with deep water access, two of Europe’s largest dry docks, ample quayside and vast fabrication halls.
As a result of the acquisition of Harland & Wolff (Appledore) in August 2020, the company has been able to capitalise on opportunities at both ends of the ship-repair and shipbuilding markets where there will be significant demand.
In February last year, the company acquired the assets of two Scottish-based yards along the east and west coasts. Now known as Harland & Wolff (Methil) and Harland & Wolff (Arnish), these facilities will focus on fabrication work within the renewable, energy and defence sectors.
The company has secured a number of high-profile contracts in recent months for workloads across all its locations, with Belfast selected to build 11 huge barges in an £8.5m deal with waste management and recycling firm Cory Group.
