Two significant appointments in the Top 50 Indies took place last month Rontec has appointed Giles Taylor as managing director following current MD Bill Ahearn’s retirement after more than 40 years; and Applegreen plc has announced that Michael O’Loughlin, managing director of its UK operating subsidiary PetrogasGroup UK, has resigned to return home to Ireland. He will be replaced by John Diviney, effective December 1, 2016.

Taylor has been promoted from his current role as Rontec’s operations director. Having started as a sales assistant in Newcastle, he has been with the business for over 25 years. Ahearn will stay on the board as a non-executive director.

John Diviney, is a PwC- trained chartered accountant and was in charge of Applegreen’s corporate finance function during the flotation of the company, since when he has been head of food systems and trading