Gresham House plc Gresham House plc

Anthony Townsend has spent over 50 years working in the City and was Chairman of the Association of Investment Companies from 2001 to 2003. He is currently Chairman of Gresham House plc and Finsbury Growth & Income Trust plc.

He was a Director of Brit Insurance Holdings plc (1999-2008), representing it on the Council of Lloyd’s of London (2006 to 2008). Prior to this, he was Managing Director of Finsbury Asset Management Ltd (1988-1998). He was a Non-Executive Director of Worldwide Healthcare Trust plc (1995-2013) and retired as the Chairman of BMO Global Smaller Companies plc on 30 July 2020.

Tony has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gresham House plc since December 2014. He chairs the Investment Committee of Gresham House plc and Gresham House Strategic plc. He led the management buy-in and established a new management team that transformed the firm from an investment trust into the AIM listed specialist asset manager it is today. Tony has a long track record in investing and advising numerous public and private equity businesses. From 2002 to 2011, he established and grew SVG Investment Managers before asked to lead SVG Advisors (formerly Schroder Ventures, London), the global private equity arm of Schroder as CEO. He started his career at Phillips & Drew Fund Management (later UBS Global Asset Management), one of the UK’s most prominent value investment firms with £60 billion in assets under management at its peak. He was also a member of the UK Equity Investment Committee with responsibility for managing over £1.5bn of UK equities. He has over 25 years of experience and holds a Master of Arts in Management Studies from the University of Cambridge (where he was also a junior rugby international and Blue).

Kevin is the Chief Financial Officer for Gresham House plc and has over 19 years of finance and operational experience in private equity. Kevin joined Gresham House from Oaktree Capital Management where he was a senior vice president responsible for finance and operations in the European Principal team covering private equity and debt opportunity funds. Prior to joining Oaktree, Kevin was Director – Group Reporting and Valuations at 3i Group plc.

Kevin qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. He also holds a BCom from the University of Edinburgh.

Rachel joined as Non-Executive Director in March 2018. Rachel is currently chairman of the Association of Investment Companies and Securities Trust of Scotland plc, and also senior independent director of both the Aberdeen New India Investment Trust plc and BlackRock Emerging Europe plc, where she also chairs the audit committee.

Previously, she was vice-chairman of Newlon Housing Trust and a non-executive director and audit committee chair of Crown Place VCT plc and Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund plc. Prior to this, Rachel was a managing director and co-head of the pan-European banks equity research and sales team at Deutsche Bank’s corporate and investment banking division, following a period as a director of Bankers Trust International.

Richard is a chartered accountant who was appointed to the Board in June 2008 as a Non-Executive Director. Richard spent 27 years within the J Sainsbury plc group of companies, where he gained considerable experience of property development and financing, having been director of corporate finance and business development, and a non-executive director of the group’s property development company.

Simon joined the Company as Non-Executive Director in December 2017. Simon has over 20 years’ experience in the City and was, until 2015, Chief Executive of Liberum, the investment bank that he co-founded in 2007.

Prior to Liberum, Simon was Head of Sales for Small Companies at Collins Stewart plc and was a Director at Beeson Gregory Limited. Simon is also the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit committee, and CEO of Bonhill Group Plc, an AIM-listed digital media and events business.

Gareth joined as a non-executive director in October 2019, having previously served in our Advisory Group. Gareth’s executive career was spent at Imperial Brands, serving for 38 years. He became CEO in early 1996, leading the de-merger from Hanson plc later that year. During his tenure as CEO, Imperial grew to be one of the world’s largest tobacco businesses, posting huge shareholder returns.

On retirement in mid-2010, Harvard Business Review cited him as one of the World’s Top 50 CEOs in terms of value creation. He became Chairman of William Hill plc in Sept 2010, Wolseley (now Ferguson plc) in Jan 2011 and DS Smith in Feb 2012. He also advises SMEs. Gareth is a very experienced international businessman having developed businesses in all continents.

Tony has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gresham House plc since December 2014. He chairs the Investment Committee of Gresham House plc and Gresham House Strategic plc. He led the management buy-in and established a new management team that transformed the firm from an investment trust into the AIM listed specialist asset manager it is today. Tony has a long track record in investing and advising numerous public and private equity businesses. From 2002 to 2011, he established and grew SVG Investment Managers before asked to lead SVG Advisors (formerly Schroder Ventures, London), the global private equity arm of Schroder as CEO. He started his career at Phillips & Drew Fund Management (later UBS Global Asset Management), one of the UK’s most prominent value investment firms with £60 billion in assets under management at its peak. He was also a member of the UK Equity Investment Committee with responsibility for managing over £1.5bn of UK equities. He has over 25 years of experience and holds a Master of Arts in Management Studies from the University of Cambridge (where he was also a junior rugby international and Blue).

Bruce was appointed Chairman of the world’s leading insurance market, Lloyd’s of London, in June 2017 and is also Chairman of Moneysupermarket Group and a Vice Chairman of Banco Santander. He was a Non-Executive Director of JLT Group plc from 2016 to 2017, prior to which he was Non-Executive Chairman of Aon UK Ltd from 2012 to 2015, Senior Independent Director of Catlin Group Ltd from 2010 to 2014 and Chief Executive for Marsh UK and Europe from 2003 to 2006.

He was also a Senior Independent Director of Close Brothers Group plc from 2006 to 2014. He previously worked at JP Morgan for 18 years in a number of senior roles and was Managing Partner of 3i Group plc’s Quoted Private Equity Division from 2007 to 2009. He is President of the Chartered Management Institute.

Rupert Robinson has been the Managing Director of Gresham House Asset Management Ltd since September 2015. Before joining Gresham House, Rupert was CEO and CIO of Schroders (UK) Private Bank for 11 years and prior to that spent 17 years at Rothschild where he was latterly Head of Private Clients at Rothschild Asset Management. Rupert has a proven track record of delivering significant value to shareholders. He has over 31 years of experience in asset management, private banking and wealth management, focusing on product innovation, investment management, business development, banking and wealth structuring. He is a member of the Group Management and Investment Committees.

Simon joined the Company as Non-Executive Director in December 2017. Simon has over 20 years’ experience in the City and was, until 2015, Chief Executive of Liberum, the investment bank that he co-founded in 2007.

Prior to Liberum, Simon was Head of Sales for Small Companies at Collins Stewart plc and was a Director at Beeson Gregory Limited. Simon is also the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit committee, and CEO of Bonhill Group Plc, an AIM-listed digital media and events business.

Alan has been a private equity investor for 30 years, in roles including Senior Partner and Global Head of Healthcare at the private equity firm 3i Group plc. He became CEO of Hermes GPE in 2010 before leaving to co-found GHO in 2014. Alan has invested in a number of high-growth healthcare companies including Quintiles and Phibro Animal Health, and currently serves on the boards of drug development specialist Quotient Sciences, pharmaceutical ingredient specialist Alcaliber, and intensive care specialist Linimed Gruppe.

Alan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law, an MSc in Enterprise and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD. He has served as Chairman of the BVCA and its Responsible Investment Advisory Board.

Sir Laurie has nearly 40 years’ experience in corporate finance advisory, latterly specialising in the financial institutions sector, and is currently a Senior Advisor to Evercore Europe investment banking and was previously Chairman of Lexicon Partners.

Prior to Lexicon Partners, Sir Laurie was a Partner in the Phoenix Partnership, becoming a Managing Director in the Financial Institutions Group of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette after it acquired Phoenix in 1997. He spent the first 18 years of his career at Samuel Montagu, now part of HSBC Investment Bank, where his final responsibility was as Deputy Head of UK Corporate Finance.

This included a posting in Singapore, where he was Area Manager responsible for operations in southeast Asia. He is currently Chairman of Pantheon International plc and J.P. Morgan Multi-Asset Trust plc. He is a non-executive Director of Aggregated Micropower Holdings plc and Fidelity Japan Trust plc. In the not-for-profit sector, he is Chairman of Historic England and a Trustee of The English Heritage Trust, a Trustee of The Allchurches Trust and Chairman of The Windsor Leadership Trust.

A very experienced and distinguished businessman, Sir Roy currently serves as Chairman of Serco plc and Senior Independent Director of Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd. He is also an Advisor to Antin Infrastructure Partners and Digitalis Reputation, and Chairman of the Board of Governors at St Albans School.

Previously, Sir Roy was Chairman of Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd, Senior Independent Director at William Hill plc, Senior Advisor to Credit Suisse, a Non-Executive Director of Willis Group Holdings Limited, Chairman of Compass Group plc, Chief Executive of Centrica plc, Managing Director of GEC-Marconi Limited, a Director of GEC plc and Managing Director of STC plc.

He has also been the Chairman of Manchester United plc, and a Non-Executive Director of Laporte plc. He is the former Chairman of the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network. Sir Roy is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, City & Guilds Institute and the Energy Institute. Sir Roy was recognised by Harvard as one of the greatest wealth creators in the world, in thirty-eighth position (Bill Gates was first).

Tony has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gresham House plc since December 2014. He chairs the Investment Committee of Gresham House plc and Gresham House Strategic plc. He led the management buy-in and established a new management team that transformed the firm from an investment trust into the AIM listed specialist asset manager it is today. Tony has a long track record in investing and advising numerous public and private equity businesses. From 2002 to 2011, he established and grew SVG Investment Managers before asked to lead SVG Advisors (formerly Schroder Ventures, London), the global private equity arm of Schroder as CEO. He started his career at Phillips & Drew Fund Management (later UBS Global Asset Management), one of the UK’s most prominent value investment firms with £60 billion in assets under management at its peak. He was also a member of the UK Equity Investment Committee with responsibility for managing over £1.5bn of UK equities. He has over 25 years of experience and holds a Master of Arts in Management Studies from the University of Cambridge (where he was also a junior rugby international and Blue).

Rupert Robinson has been the Managing Director of Gresham House Asset Management Ltd since September 2015. Before joining Gresham House, Rupert was CEO and CIO of Schroders (UK) Private Bank for 11 years and prior to that spent 17 years at Rothschild where he was latterly Head of Private Clients at Rothschild Asset Management. Rupert has a proven track record of delivering significant value to shareholders. He has over 31 years of experience in asset management, private banking and wealth management, focusing on product innovation, investment management, business development, banking and wealth structuring. He is a member of the Group Management and Investment Committees.

Kevin is the Chief Financial Officer for Gresham House plc and has over 19 years of finance and operational experience in private equity. Kevin joined Gresham House from Oaktree Capital Management where he was a senior vice president responsible for finance and operations in the European Principal team covering private equity and debt opportunity funds. Prior to joining Oaktree, Kevin was Director – Group Reporting and Valuations at 3i Group plc.

Kevin qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. He also holds a BCom from the University of Edinburgh.

Andy is responsible for operational and technology initiatives across Gresham House. Andy has a strong technology, operations and business background, having previously worked for LDC and the wholesale division of Lloyds Banking Group, where he led numerous operational improvement and technology programmes.

Throughout his career Andy has advised companies on identifying value creation opportunities to support growth that can be driven through operational improvement and technology, as well as supporting complex post-merger integrations. Andy holds an MBA from the University of Warwick.

Samee has been the Chief Legal Officer of Gresham House plc since April 2019. He is responsible for Gresham House Group legal matters. He joined Gresham House from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), where he was responsible for building and leading ADIA’s private equity legal and compliance team for five years. Prior to ADIA, Samee worked at SVG Capital plc alongside Tony Dalwood and Graham Bird. He has over 22 years of legal, commercial and financial experience, covering private and public equity, M&A and corporate finance. He also has a first-class honours degree in law and qualified as a solicitor at Slaughter and May.