Brian Moon, who has helped steer UK technology design hothouse Cambridge Consultants from the brink of collapse to global greatness, has retired after 11 years in the role.

His deputy Alan Richardson succeeds him at a time of record growth for the business, whose foundation in 1960 triggered the Cambridge Phenomenon. The new CEO says the firm will look to further growth in Asia and other global territories with China clearly on the map.

A Cambridge University alumnus Richardson, who joined in February 1984, has been deputy CEO since 2007. Prior to being appointed to the board in 2002 as chief technology officer, Richardson played a major role in building the firm’s business in electromagnetic sensors, becoming division manager of the product development business.

Richardson said: “While the world has experienced a degree of turbulence and uncertainty over the past few years, the value that Cambridge Consultants brings to clients means that we have only experienced ever-increasing demand for our services.

“I believe that there are new markets, such as Asia and parts of Europe, where we can bring our expertise to bear and further accelerate our demanding growth targets. Last year, more than 98 per cent of our clients felt that we exceeded their expectations, so it is with this pedigree that I feel confident that we can continue to build this business.

“Brian Moon has played the pivotal role in our success for the past decade, and I am grateful for everything he has done to hand over such a strong and successful business.”

Dr Moon joined Cambridge Consultants in 1982 as an engineer in optical science. During the 1980s and ’90s, Dr Moon was responsible for building a successful division responsible for medical product and system development.

Having saved the company from collapse when the firm’s previous owners went into receivership in 2002, Dr Moon was also able to protect and retain the company’s portfolio of shareholdings in spin-off companies and ultimately was able to solve the pension problem the company was left with.

This enabled employees of the company and also the UK employees of the previous owner to obtain their pensions. Dr Moon led the company into strong growth, more than doubling the company’s turnover in less than 10 years.

It was also under Dr Moon’s stewardship that the firm opened its first office in the United States and was awarded two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the first in 2009 and the second in 2011.

Dr Moon said: “Having worked closely with Alan for many years, I retire safe in the knowledge that the firm is in a strong position and set for further success.

“We have only seen year-on-year growth during my tenure as CEO, and during this time we have delivered some truly spectacular projects to clients. I put this down to the exceptional calibre of staff that Cambridge Consultants employs, and I feel privileged to have led this iconic Cambridge company for the past decade.”

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Brian Moon