Our Leadership Team
Meet the Leadership Team
Robert Pye
Chief Executive Officer
Robert is the Chief Executive Officer of Filtrona. He began his Filtrona career in 2016 as the Asia Region Operations Director of Essentra, the parent company of Filtrona at that time. Robert was then appointed as Global Business and Operations Director of the Filters Division before assuming his current position in 2022. Prior to joining Essentra, Robert was the Operations Director for Asia Pacific at Avery Dennison. He also held senior operational roles at Amcor and Bridgestone. Robert holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Adelaide, and a Bachelor of Technology in Engineering and Computer Science from University of South Australia.
Tue Saabye
Chief Financial Officer
Tue is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Filtrona, responsible for the strategic financial leadership of the company. He oversees the company’s financial processes and controls. Prior to Filtrona, Tue served as the CFO for Spectainer, Energy Drilling, Svitzer, Maersk Line, and Maersk Taiwan. He also served as Auditor at Deloitte. He holds a Master of Science in Business Economics and Auditing, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School.
Lay Moi Kow
Global Operations Director
Lay Moi (LM) is the Global Operations Director for the Filters Division of Filtrona. Before joining Filtrona, she was the General Manager of Manufacturing and Business Excellence Asia at Amcor, where she was responsible for improving performance in safety, quality, supply chain, procurement, and manufacturing functions. Prior to Amcor, LM held regional and senior management positions with various FMCG companies. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Technology in Malaysia.
Patrick Meredith
Global Strategy & Business Development Director
Patrick is the Global Strategy and Business Development Director at Filtrona, responsible for developing and implementing the company’s divisional strategy. Patrick joined Filtrona in 2003 as the Engineering Projects Manager of the Filtrona Technology Centre in Jarrow, UK. Over the years, he took on various roles of increasing responsibility before his current position. Prior to joining Essentra, Patrick was the Project Manager for Federal Mogul where he worked on capital expenditure projects in South Africa and Brazil. A Chartered Engineer, he holds a Master of Business Administration from Open University, and a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Bath.
Hywel Thomas
Global Commercial Director
Hywel is the Global Commercial Director for filters at Filtrona, and a member of the Leadership Team where he helps set the business direction by identifying and evaluating strategic options. He began his career in the tobacco industry when he joined Essentra in 2012 as the Global Sales and Marketing Director in Singapore. In 2018, he was appointed as the Global Commercial Director to lead the global Key Account Management team and regional sales directors for Asia, Americas, and Europe. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economic and Politics from Cardiff University.
Jenny Loh
Global Human Resources Director
Jenny is the Global Human Resources Director of Filtrona and is responsible for organisational development, talent acquisition, development and management, and succession planning. Prior to her current role, Jenny has held senior leadership roles in Human Resources with multinational corporations such as Tyco Fire & Security, Apex Tool Group, and Ingersoll Rand, including stints in Shanghai, China. Jenny holds a Master of Science in Human Resources Development from University of Manchester, and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Estate Management from National University of Singapore.
Hugo Azinheira
Global Director, Innovation and ESG
Hugo is the Global Director for Innovation and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) at Filtrona, responsible for research and development, product innovation, product development, product management and commercialisation, and ESG. Prior to joining Filtrona, he was the Innovation Manager at Japan Tobacco International in Hong Kong. He also served as Associate Scientist and Cigarette Designer at Philip Morris International. Hugo holds a degree in Material Engineering from Technical University of Lisboa in Portugal, and a post-graduate degree in Innovation Management from the Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium.
