Phil Cotton
FCA
Pro-Chancellor, Chair of the Board
Board of Governors
Role at Solent
Phil Cotton joined the Board as an independent governor in November 2015, and became chairman in August 2017. Phil also chairs the Governance Committee, and is a member of Remuneration Committee.
Experience
Phil has recently retired after 36 years with the professional services firm, KPMG. He was an audit partner with the firm for the past 16 years, and he also held a number of leadership roles including Southampton office senior partner, Bristol office senior partner and, more recently, Chairman of the south region. Phil's client work was mostly with larger private companies and mid-sized public entities, with operations across a number sectors, including leisure, technology and support services, both in the UK and overseas.
Graduating with an economics degree from the University of Birmingham in 1979, Phil went on to study for his professional accountancy exams with KPMG (then known as Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co) in London. He is an FCA and a member of the ICAEW.
Phil has served as a Board Member of Business in the Community (BITC) South West and, since June 2014, has been HRH Prince of Wales' BITC Ambassador south west region. Previously Phil has been an independent governor of Regents' Park School in Southampton.
Committee membership
- Chair of the Governance Committee
- Member of Remuneration Committee
