Gayla Cowie

Gayla Cowie is an experienced human resources leader currently serving as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Synthomer since September 2025. Prior to this role, Gayla held various senior positions at Johnson Matthey, including Global Director of HR & Communications for Clean Air and Global HR Director for Battery Materials & Hydrogen Technologies, from April 2021 to September 2025. Gayla's extensive background also includes serving as Global HR Director for RDD & Operations at Dyson and Vice President HR for the Asia & Oceania Region at Nissan Motor Corporation, where leadership was provided to HR teams across multiple countries. Gayla's career at Nissan spanned 17 years and involved roles such as HR Director for Organisation Development, Talent Management, and HR Strategy. Additionally, Gayla served as General Manager for Global Talent Management at the Renault-Nissan Alliance, focusing on executive talent development and strategic HR initiatives. Gayla holds a Master of Science in Human Resources from the University of Strathclyde and a Master of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow.