Melanie Nott, Regional Business Contract Support DMA, ESS
Melanie was born and raised in Leicestershire and now lives in Cornwall. She left home at the age of 19 to join the Royal Navy, where she went on to serve for 22 years. She was among the first women to serve at sea, with postings aboard HMS Roebuck, HMS Norfolk, HMS Invincible, and HMS Cumberland.
Compass career so far: After leaving the Royal Navy in 2012, Melanie joined ESS in 2013, initially working at HMS Raleigh. She currently holds the role of Business Contract Support for DMA and Hestia 7 SW, and also serves as Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, Bob Gray, Andy Rees, Business Director for the South West & Clyde, and Kris Nicholson, Business Director for the PFIs.
Service Highlights: During her naval career, Melanie earned six medals and took part in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo while serving aboard HMS Invincible and HMS Cumberland. She also completed two deployments to the Falkland Islands. It was aboard HMS Cumberland that she met her husband; they have now been married for 15 years. Melanie is married with two sons, aged 19 and 15.
Kris Nicholson, Business Director, ESS
Kris Nicholson is Co-Chair of our Armed Forces Committee, joining existing Co-Chair, Angela Lewis and Executive Sponsor, Mark Webster, CEO of Compass One.
Compass career so far: Kris joined Compass as Business Director for ESS in 2024, following a distinguished 34-year career in the Royal Navy as a Logistics Officer. Kris’s dedication to the Royal Navy and the impact he has already made since joining Compass make him an outstanding choice for this role.
Service Highlights: Kris's career highlights include operational tours in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and serving in Logistics Command of HMS BULWARK during the 2012 London Olympic Games. He also played a key role in the delivery of the Tide Class naval tankers and improved strategic transport asset use within the Defence Support Chain Operations and Movements.
Mark Armstrong - Technical Services and H&S Director
Mark is an Army Veteran and an RAF Veteran Spouse, between them he and his wife served in their respective services for a total of 64 years; Mark left the Army in January 2015, Joining Compass the same month.
Service highlights: I was an aircraft engineer in the REME for 25 years before moving into Defence Infrastructure for my final 8 years of service. I deployed on 6 operational deployments which included: the first Gulf War, Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. I was fortunate enough to serve with both Commando and Airborne forces, with the standout tour being the Commanding Officer of 7 Air Assault Battalion REME; which I commanded during the second Gulf War. I left the Army as a Major General.
Compass career so far: I initially joined ESS as an internal consultant before identifying the need for a Technical Director to oversee compliance within the delivery of Hard FM services. I then established the Engineering Support Team to deliver Pre-Planned Maintenance tasks across the PPP-IML estate. In late 2018, Health & Safety for the UK & Ireland business was added to my portfolio.
Allan Blackmore - Culinary Director, Levy UK+I
Allan, an Army Veteran, began his career in 1981 as an apprentice in the Army Catering Corp. After three years of training at Aldershot, his first posting was to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. Later, he was deployed to Northern Ireland.
After serving in the army, Allan's passion for food led him to Compass, where he has been for 28 years, making a mark in the Sports and Arena business (Levy). He started as a Sous Chef at Cheltenham Racecourse. He progressed to Executive Chef, where he continued to excel, running Cheltenham and overseeing multiple venues and events across the UK in a regional role.
In 2007, Allan was appointed as the Culinary Director for Levy UK, where he brought together the culinary teams across various sectors. His talent and expertise have been put to work on many iconic events over the years.
