The MUA Board
MUA Chair
Paul Brough
Managing Director, Brough Consulting Limited
Paul has had a distinguished career as a former CEO and Managing Director in the print, mailing and digital services sectors, earning recognition as a highly influential leader in the industry.
He began his professional journey in the heavy engineering sector, where he held several senior management positions. Following a successful tenure at Royal Mail in their transactional mailing business, Paul rose to the role of CEO at a large print and mail producer. He led the company until March 2018, when he left to establish Brough Consulting.
Currently, Paul provides strategic guidance through Non-Executive Director roles, advisory positions and mentoring. His expertise in business transformation covers a range of key areas, including strategic planning, sales leadership, investment projects, profitability growth and acquisition programmes.
With extensive knowledge of the mailing industry, Paul has been a director of the Mail Users' Association (MUA) since 2014 and acts as our representative on the PAF Advisory Board and the Graphics and Print Media Alliance. He has also served as a longstanding board member of both the Royal Mail Strategic Mailing Partnership and the Royal Mail Letters Advisory Board.
Board Directors
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Ian Paterson
Mail Industry Consultant
Following a career in UK manufacturing industry, Ian moved to the postal world in 1992.
He held senior roles with Royal Mail and UK Mail, establishing the first downstream access in 2004. Leaving his role as Strategy & Regulatory Affairs Director at UK Mail in 2014, Ian became an independent consultant on postal issues - in particular regulation, legislation and business development, working with leading postal companies, national posts, Government and regulators.
Ian joined MUA as Chairman in 2014 and although stepping down from that role at the end of March 2025, he continues to be an MUA Director.
Ian is also a founding member of the Mail Competition Forum, the PAF Advisory Board and the Working Access Group, and has been part of industry groups on areas such as forecasting, Mailmark, service performance compensation and reviewing the Access Contract, working with major mail users, mail producers and mail operators.
Neil Haydock
Independent Consultant
Neil is currently a Special Advisor and SME for FTI Consulting in the UK and Europe and has worked in the Mails and Parcels business for nearly twenty years. Previously he was Head of Mails Development, Strategy and Innovation at Post Office/Royal Mail and more recently Postal And Government Relations Director at Auctane Ltd.
He has also worked in the UK Charity sector in Senior Business Development and Corporate Sponsorship roles for Mind and The Princes Trust.
Neil also sits as an Independent Consultant on the PAF (Postcode Address File) Advisory Board.
Stephen Agar
Non-Executive Chairman, Micom / Postal Affairs Director, Citipost
Stephen is a Barrister, with an early career as an in-house lawyer in Government service and in Telecoms.
He enjoyed a 30-year career with Royal Mail, starting off as an in-house lawyer, then moving into mainstream management. During his time as Director of Regulation, Stephen negotiated a price control with Postcomm and created the first downstream access agreement.
Stephen subsequently acted as Managing Director Wholesale, before taking on responsibility for the totality of Royal Mail’s letters as Managing Director Letters. While running Royal Mail’s letters business Stephen introduced many innovations, such as Mailmark, the creation of Advertising Mail, and unique barcoded stamps. He particularly enjoyed his work with Philatelic during the London Olympics of 2012. Stephen left Royal Mail in 2020 when the pandemic hit.
At the moment, Stephen is non-executive Chairman of Micom, an innovative hybrid communications company and also works for Citipost as Postal Affairs Director.
Executive Director
Jeremy Partridge
Jeremy Partridge is responsible for the day-to-day administration of MUA and is the first port of call for membership enquiries. Formerly Head of Post Affairs and Export Strategy at Professional Publishers Association, Jeremy oversees the production of MUA's formal submissions to key stakeholders, and assisted by the Chair and Board Directors administers MUA's Committee meetings and any relevant Sub Groups and delegations that need to be organised.