Simon Bennett - Non-Executive Chairman (aged 49)
Simon has over 20 years investment banking experience in the City. Mr Bennett qualified as a chartered accountant with Saffery Champness in 1977. In 1982 he joined stockbrokers Scrimgeour Kemp Gee which was subsequently acquired by Citicorp (now Citigroup) in 1986. Thereafter, Mr Bennett was instrumental in establishing the mid and small cap advisory business Citicorp Scrimgeour Vickers which was focused on fast growing mid and small cap companies. In June 1990, Mr Bennett joined Credit Lyonnais Securities and, following the defection of a team to a rival company, became Head of Corporate Finance and Head of the mid and small caps team in June 2000.
In June 2004 Mr Bennett left Credit Lyonnais, following its acquisition by Credit Argicole, and established Incremental Capital LLP to provide corporate finance advice to mid and small cap companies. In the latter part of 2005, Mr Bennett joined Baker Tilly as Managing Director of Baker Tilly and Co. Limited. He has recently left the practice to concentrate full time on growing Citicourt and Co. Limited, an independent corporate finance advisory business, where he is the Managing Director and the majority shareholder. Mr Bennett is also non-executive director of Inland plc.
Nishith Malde - FCA Director (aged 49)
Nishith qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1985 with KPMG and specialised in advising owner managed businesses. He left KPMG in 1989 to set up a consultancy firm which later merged with an audit practice where he was the partner responsible for the affairs of Country & Metropolitan plc. Mr Malde joined Country & Metropolitan plc as finance director and company secretary in November 1998. He was actively involved in the preparation for the flotation of Country & Metropolitan PLC in December 1999 and its further development (which included acquisitions and disposals) until it was acquired by Gladedale Holdings plc in April 2005. He is a director of Inland plc which floated onto AIM in April 2007. Mr Malde is also a non-executive director of SLR Holdings Limited, which has a successful international environmental consultancy business.