Complex sentence: Both Girling and Pearson had long careers with RM before being appointed Chief Executive, Pearson having joined the company as a technical support engineer straight from university in 1981.
Split into simpler sentences: Both Girling and Pearson had long careers with RM before being appointed Chief Executive. Long careers are a feature of RM-Pearson having joined the company as a technical support engineer straight from university in 1981.