Element’s 188 laboratories worldwide test the safety and compliance of materials used in sectors such as aerospace, transport and oil and gas. Founded in 2010, the London business bought its British rival Exova in 2017 for £620m and opened aerospace labs in Shanghai and South Carolina in 2019. The acquisitions of the American companies MTC and Orbit and Germany’s Vohtec helped overseas sales reach £500.9m in 2018. Jo Wetz, 43, took over as chief executive from Charles Noall, 60, in December last year.