Belgium-headquartered weapon manufacturer Herstal Group has announced the appointment of Michelle Cantoni as CEO of its UK subsidiary, FNH UK, the company announced on 13 June 2023. Cantoni will take up her position on 14 August.
“The Herstal Group is extremely pleased with the arrival of Michelle Cantoni at the head of FNH UK,” Julien Compère, CEO of the Herstal Group, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Her strong professional experience in the defence sector makes her the ideal person to keep on developing and strengthening FNH UK’s industrial and commercial activities. Together with Michelle, we are confident that our company, which operates the only small arms production facility in the UK, is in the best possible hands to continue to serve the UK’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies.”
Cantoni was selected as CEO of FNH UK following a competitive recruitment process launched by the group after the current CEO, Glyn Bottomley, decided to step back from his position.
Cantoni has worked for 17 years in senior positions in the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), particularly in the field of small arms and ammunition. For the last three years, she has managed and doubled the business of Level Peaks: a company that supplies equipment and systems to the UK MoD, UK police forces and NATO military forces.
Cantoni holds an MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Aeronautics from Brunel University London and an MSc in Explosive Ordnance Engineering from Cranfield University.
Compère added: “I would also like to extend my warmest thanks to the outgoing CEO of FNH UK, Glyn Bottomley, for his high-quality work since the company was acquired by the Herstal Group in 2014. Glyn has been instrumental in making FNH UK a leading partner to the UK armed forces and has been actively involved in the successful integration of the company into the Defence and Security Division of our group. I look forward to continuing to rely on his wise advice as Glyn will remain as chairman of the board of FNH UK Ltd until end of December 2023.”
Peter Felstead
