Kinewell appoints new Director & CFO after expansion

Kinewell has appointed David Pinches as Non-Executive Director and Craig Lilford as Fractional CFO, following a period of expansion at the offshore wind software company.

The Newcastle-based business said the hires add software, finance and board advisory experience as it builds on a strong first half that included a £750,000 fundraising, the acquisition of ForeCoast Marine and a King's Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

Pinches has spent more than four decades in business-to-business software. His previous roles include Head of Software at Sage, Commercial Director at Scott Logic and Non-Executive Chair of Salesfire.

He was introduced to Kinewell by Mercia following investment from the North East Accelerate Fund, managed by Mercia Ventures. The fund was established by the North East Fund with support from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.

Commenting on his appointment, Pinches highlighted both the company's commercial progress and its role in the energy transition.

David Pinches, Non-Executive Director at Kinewell, said: "Kinewell is a fantastic success story for UK plc, creating high-skilled jobs and exporting its software solutions to customers across the globe. More importantly, the company is also playing a pivotal role in tackling one of our planet's greatest challenges: energy security and the climate crisis.

"I am thrilled to be joining the business as Non-Executive Director at such an exciting time in its journey and look forward to contributing to the next stage of the company's growth while supporting the global transition to a net-zero society."

Lilford joins with experience in listed companies and venture-backed businesses. He has held senior finance and leadership roles at Sage Group and RBS Group, where he worked on strategic initiatives, commercial programmes and restructurings.

He currently advises a number of high-growth companies as a Fractional CFO and Board Member, supporting financial leadership, fundraising, commercial planning and investor relations.

His appointment gives Kinewell another board member with experience of working alongside founders, investors and growing businesses, which the company said would support its next stage of development.

Lilford said: "What really drew me to Kinewell was the chance to be part of a business tackling some of the offshore wind sector's biggest challenges. The team is doing genuinely important work to help offshore wind institutions reduce costs, improve performance and accelerate deployment, and that really resonated with me.

"Having spent much of my career helping businesses grow and create long-term value, I was also struck by the strength of the technology and the ambition of the people behind it. Joining the board at this point in Kinewell's journey feels like a hugely exciting opportunity."

Recent growth

The appointments follow a busy period for Kinewell. Alongside the £750,000 raise, the company completed the acquisition of ForeCoast Marine, which develops marine weather risk software.

Kinewell also received a King's Award for Enterprise for International Trade, which recognises companies that have delivered sustained growth in overseas sales over several years.

The company develops software for low-carbon sectors, with a particular focus on offshore wind. It is known for its work on inter-array cable optimisation, part of offshore wind farm design that affects layout and project costs.

Kinewell says it uses advanced mathematics and artificial intelligence in its products. Its work centres on lifetime cost optimisation for low-carbon technologies, an area that has drawn increasing investor and industry attention as offshore wind developers face pressure on project economics.

The latest hires suggest the business is strengthening governance and financial oversight as it moves beyond its earlier growth phase. Bringing in a non-executive director with software sector experience and a finance leader with board advisory experience is a common step for companies preparing for wider commercial expansion.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Andrew Jenkins said the appointments would strengthen the company's leadership team.

Dr Andrew Jenkins, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kinewell, said: "We are delighted to welcome Craig and David to the Kinewell board. Their extensive knowledge and experience of technology, finance and marketing, as well as working with scaling businesses, will significantly enhance both the software solutions and support we provide to our clients and the long-term development of our business as we continue to innovate and grow."