The appointment follows a £4.5m investment by private equity firm Foresight Group in January.

The business was founded in 2015 and  has developed its own range of high-pressure water mist fire suppression systems for domestic and larger residential properties.

Mursell said: “The need for innovative fire suppression systems which can be quickly, easily and cheaply installed in both new and existing buildings, is a major issue for the industry and iMist has a solution.

“The move from a sprinkler to a misting system is a natural evolution which gives the end-user a number of benefits, particularly in terms of being more environmentally-friendly as they significantly reduce the amount of water required.

“IMist has a sound business model and good market conditions to accelerate its growth, along with the backing from Foresight Group to enable them to realise their vision.

“Managing director Tony Sims is supported by an extremely knowledgeable management team who have ensured that every relevant safety and quality accreditation has been achieved, and also established an impressive R&D capability.

“I immediately like their down-to-earth, honest approach to running the business and felt that with my industry experience and large company background, I could really add value from advising on the best path for growth and overcoming some of the challenges that come with rapid expansion, to corporate governance and measuring business performance.”

Tony Sims, managing director of iMist, said: “Haydn has an impressive track record as an experienced CEO, CFO and board adviser, and brings a wealth of skills having worked for some of the best-known construction and infrastructure groups in the UK.

“Following our recent PE investment, iMist is now embarking on the next stage in its development and we believe that Haydn will have a pivotal role to play as we optimise the current regulatory opportunity in order to drive further growth and development activities across the UK.”

During his tenure at Kier, Mursell increased the revenue and people threefold following a series of complex acquisitions.

He resigned in January 2019 after coming under pressure from shareholders amid mounting debt levels.