Nicolas Banyols
Nicolas is the Chief Commercial Officer for The LYCRA Company. In this role, he drives business strategy and execution along the global value chain to ensure functional integration and alignment to drive commercial success. A native of France, Nicolas is an experienced sales leader with a 25-year track record across large multinational corporations. He joined The LYCRA Company in 2008 and has held various marketing and commercial roles, including, most recently, Vice President of Apparel for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and South Asia. Previously, Nicolas spent 13 years working in sales across the paper and technical packaging industry. Nicolas holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s in Marketing from the Paris School of Business.
Robert Johnston
Robert is the Executive Vice President of Operations, overseeing manufacturing, sourcing, procurement, logistics, and information technology. He has worked at The LYCRA Company and predecessor companies for over 30 years in China, the United States, and Northern Ireland. He earned a Master’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Queen’s University in Belfast and started his career at The LYCRA Company’s Maydown, Northern Ireland site following graduation in 1990. He has held numerous engineering, operations and technical leadership and functional roles throughout his career.
Sandra Lyle
As Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Sandra leads all aspects of HR for The LYCRA Company, including compensation and benefits. She joined its predecessor company, INVISTA, in 2004, where she supported European-based businesses as HR Director. Previously, Sandra worked for 15 years at Desmond’s, a Northern Ireland-based apparel company, in various HR roles, where she had responsibility for management development. As the HR lead for Desmond’s outerwear division, Sandra oversaw six manufacturing plants in Ireland and Turkey. Sandra holds an Honors Degree in Social Science from the University of Ulster and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Institute of Personnel and Development.
Cathy Spicer
As Chief Legal Officer of The LYCRA Company, Cathy oversees corporate governance, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, privacy, and in-house legal services designed to meet corporate goals, strategies, and priorities, including ESG. She also serves as Corporate Secretary to the company’s board of directors. Cathy has 30 years of legal experience, including over 15 years in the apparel industry. She earned her Juris Doctor from Albany Law School and has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York at Albany.
Steve Stewart
Steve is the Chief Brand and Innovation Officer for The LYCRA Company. In his role, he is responsible for the leadership of our integrated Technology and Strategic Marketing teams and tasked with accelerating the pace and impact of innovative products and platforms for Brands and Retailers. Before this role, Steve was based in Shanghai, China, for eight years and led Commercial Operations as the VP of the Asia region with the formation of The LYCRA Company. Steve has over 25 years of experience in the textile fiber and apparel business, including operations, technical, sales, and marketing positions. Before his career with INVISTA and The LYCRA Company, he worked for Boeing, Dupont, and WL Gore & Associates. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Tennessee.
Dean Williams
Dean oversees finance and accounting capabilities for The LYCRA Company as Chief Financial Officer. Previously, Dean has held various finance and accounting leadership roles with INVISTA Apparel & Advanced Textiles in the U.K. and served as Finance Director in its Geneva, Switzerland office before moving to the United States in 2010. He has over 25 years of experience in finance and leadership roles with INVISTA, DuPont, and Imperial Chemical Industries. Dean holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Wales.