Current staff biographies
Richard Wylde - Managing Director
Read Natural Sciences at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and then completed a PhD with Prof Derek Martin in the department of Physics, Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London.
Richard Wylde splits his time between academic and business work: He was a senior visiting research fellow of the physics Department, Queen Mary and Westfield College for 15 years and is now based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of St.Andrews.
He also runs the Churchwood Trust group companies, whose web site you are visiting. His research interests lie in the design of MM-Wave and Far Infrared optics for plasma fusion diagnostics, astronomy, cosmology and earth remote sensing. He is an associate scientist on ESA's Planck Mission, looking at microKelvin anisotropies in the 2.7K Cosmic Background Radiation.
He dives in caves - The photo was taken before entering the Devil's Eye Cave System in Gilcrist County, Florida with the Instructor Steve Berman (left) - sadly now deceased.
Click here if you feel the need to learn more about Cave Diving or of his current project - mapping of the Minotauros system in the Yucatan.
Holding the Planck HFI focal plane structure
Richard Wylde / Thomas Keating Ltd /
Stuart Froud - Works Manager
Starting his engineering career in 1987 with a mechanical engineering apprenticeship with Duracell® batteries he moved into injection mould toolmaking, which then lead him into CAD design work.
Having joined TK in 2003 as a designer, in March 2019 he was promoted to Works Manager, following the retirement of Mick Clack.
As a family man of 2 children, typically a lot of his time is spent running a Taxi Company! But when time allows he can be found cycling or trying to run for more than 5K.
Stuart Froud / Thomas Keating Ltd /
Simon Duke -Technical Sales Manager
Simon has served Thomas Keating Ltd. since joining in 1981 from apprentice through to toolmaker, tool room supervisor and technical sales manager.
Simon Duke / Thomas Keating Ltd /
David Roberts - Commercial Manager
David Roberts our commercial manager and company secretary, is responsible for making sure that all of our paperwork is in order.
Commercial manager / Thomas Keating Ltd / Tel.: +44(0)1403 782045