Programme for Monday 27th March 2023, 5pm – 9pm
5.00 pm Interview with Georgina Brittain, portfolio manager of JPMorgan UK Smaller Companies
5.30 pm Company presentation by Vector Capital plc
6.10 pm Company presentation by Fintel plc
6.40 pm Special guest interview David Cicurel
7.00 pm Company presentation by CentralNic Group plc
7.30 pm Mark Bentley introduces ShareSoc’s ‘Bank failures and their broader implications’ in-conversation event
7.35 pm Mello BASH with Damian Cannon, Kevin Taylor and Mark Simpson reviewing XLMedia, HSS and H&T Group
Interview with Georgina Brittain, portfolio manager of JPMorgan UK Smaller Companies (JMI)
Georgina Brittain, managing director, is a senior portfolio manager within the J.P. Morgan Asset Management International Equity Group, based in London. Georgina joined the firm in 1995. She obtained a MA in Classics from the University of Oxford, and earned a Diploma in Law from City University, London. She is a qualified barrister.
Company Presentation – Fintel plc
Fintel is the UK’s leading fintech and support services business, combining the largest provider of intermediary business support, SimplyBiz, and the leading research, ratings, and Fintech business, Defaqto. Fintel provides technology, compliance and regulatory support to thousands of intermediary businesses, data and targeted distribution services to hundreds of product providers and empowers millions of consumers to make better informed financial decisions. We serve our customers through three core divisions:
The Intermediary Services division provides technology, compliance, and regulatory support to thousands of intermediary businesses through a comprehensive membership model. Members include directly authorised IFAs, Wealth Managers and Mortgage Brokers.
The Distribution Channels division delivers market Insight & analysis and targeted distribution strategies to financial institutions and product providers. Clients include major Life & Pension companies, Investment Houses, Banks and Building Societies
The Fintech and Research division (Defaqto) provides market leading software, financial information and product research to product providers and intermediaries. Defaqto also provides product ratings (Star Ratings) on thousands of financial products. Financial products are expertly reviewed by the Defaqto research team and are compared and rated based on their underlying features & benefits. Defaqto ratings help consumers compare and buy financial products with confidence.
For more information about Fintel, please visit the website: www.wearefintel.com
Neil has executive responsibility for Fintel’s ‘Intermediary Services’ and ‘Distribution Channels’ business (SimplyBiz) and leads the PLC’s operations and governance strategy. Alongside co-CEO Matt Timmins, he is responsible for the vision and strategy of the overall business. Neil joined SimplyBiz in 2003 and was appointed joint CEO of Fintel (formerly the SimplyBiz Group) in 2010.
He has worked as a management consultant in the UK and Europe and has an engineering degree from UCE and an MBA from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Matt has executive responsibility for Fintel’s Fintech and Research division (Defaqto) as well as the PLC’s Marketing strategy. Alongside Neil Stevens, he is responsible for the vision and strategy of the business. Matt joined SimplyBiz at inception in 2002 and was appointed joint CEO in 2010. Previous employment includes GE Capital, Misys and DBS Financial Management.
David is responsible for financial strategy of Fintel, overseeing all aspects of financial planning and reporting and management of financial risks.
David joined Fintel in April 2021 as CFO, bringing with him a broad range of commercial and management experience. David is a qualified chartered accountant and has held senior public practice and industry roles, gaining exposure to a variety of commercial and technical issues.
Most recently, he has been the CFO at AIM-listed Smart Metering Systems (SMS), after being promoted from group and divisional finance director in 2017. He has also held a number of senior finance positions at Energetics Utility Group, Johnston Carmichael and PwC.
Company Presentation – Vector Capital plc
Vector Capital Plc and its subsidiaries Vector Business Finance Limited and Vector Asset Finance Limited form a mortgage lending group. The group specialises in providing secured finance to small property developers and property investors in England & Wales. It has delivered consistent growth and profits since inception and pays attractive dividends.
Vector receives a constant inflow of proposals from Commercial Brokers that see Vector as their lender of choice in its segment.
It is financed by shareholder funds, investor loan notes and 2 wholesale bank facilities. Currently its loan book is circa £50m and seeks further investment to continue its growth journey.
Agam Jain is CEO and controlling shareholder of Vector Capital PLC listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company provides secured finance to property developers.
His experience in the bridging loan segment started in 1999 as an anciliary activity whilst he was running a technology business. He took that business to an IPO on the Australian Stock Exchange in December 2015.
Immediately after that in January 2016 he founded Vector and focussed on laying the foundation of a scalable mortgage lending business. Agam took Vector to an IPO on the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange in December 2020.
Agam graduated from Imperial College with a degree in Physics and Management Science. He has in depth experience in building successful teams, systems and processes. He ambition is to continue to grow the business for all stakeholders with an ambitious road map.
Robin was appointed Chairman of Vector in December 2020, having joined the board in March 2020. He is also Head of Capital Markets for MHA MacIntyre Hudson and has extensive experience in corporate finance including corporate advisory and reporting assignments, raising capital, management buyouts, capital reconstructions, pre-flotation planning, due diligence and valuations. He has also advised on acquisitions and disposals by public and private companies as well as on over 150 IPOs, secondary offerings, Take Over Code transactions and RTOs in the UK and overseas, in a wide range of sectors. His sector experience includes Healthcare, Manufacturing, Natural Resources, Real Estate, Automotive, Renewables and Technology.
Robin is also a Director of Hercules Site Services Plc (AIM), Aura Renewable Acquisitions Plc (Main Market), and Annica Holdings Limited in Singapore ( SGX Catalist). As such he has a 360 degree and almost unique view on and experience of International capital market transactions. Robin was formerly corporate finance and audit partner, and Head of Capital Markets, of MRI Moores Rowland, Crowe UK and Mazars UK.
Gordon has been in Property Finance for over 30 years, (and Banking over 39 years). In that time he has lent to every type of company and every type of property and in both Investment and Development Finance. Extensive lending experience in Senior Debt, Stretched Senior and Mezzanine Finance, Equity, Syndicated and Club deals, 365 day Revolver and Evergreen facilities . Amounts range from £1m to £100m+ A new business origination and relationship driven specialist Real Estate Financier. Broad sector coverage across small, medium and large companies in:- Development Finance, Investment, Refurbishment in Residential, Offices, Pubs, Hotels, Leisure Commercial, Retail, Industrial, Warehouse Distribution, Shopping Centres and Leisure together with experience in lending into Europe as well as the UK.
Company Presentation – CentralNic Group plc
CentralNic (AIM: CNIC) is a London-based AIM-listed global company that develops and operates marketplaces for online presence and online marketing services, growing organically at 39% per year. In addition to its organic growth, CentralNic has a stellar track record at making earning accretive acquisitions.
In addition to rapid growth, CentralNic’s strategic focuses include maintaining a pure-play recurring revenue model with 100+% cash conversion, and managing debt at a low level.
CentralNic operates globally with customers in almost every country in the world, across the digital economy, ranging from the Global 1000 companies including the major tech platform, through to Governments and entrepreneurs.
For more information please visit: www.centralnicgroup.com
Michael Riedl was Executive Vice President and CFO of KeyDrive S.A. from August 2011, overseeing the growth of the company over the next 7 years. Prior to joining KeyDrive S.A., Michael held managing positions in the private equity and ICT industries. He started his career with Roland Berger Strategy Consultants where he specialised in performance improvement programs. Michael was Chief Restructuring Officer at Group Saint-Paul in Luxembourg from 2004 to 2007 before joining DZ Equity Partners, the private equity firm, in Frankfurt in 2007. In 2008, Michael joined BIP Investment Partners where he worked on private equity opportunities with a focus on buyouts until 2011. Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from James Madison University, USA, a Master of Science degree in Business Administration from European Business School, Germany, and a LLM from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. He is also a Chartered Management Accountant and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Billy joined CentralNic in 2019 as Group Finance Director, before becoming Group Chief Financial Officer in December 2022. Billy’s most recent role prior to joining CentralNic in 2019 was as Interim Director of Group Financial Accounting and Controls at Fremantle, part of the RTL Group.
Following a ten year stint with PwC in London and California, Billy worked for a variety of UK and US listed international groups in the Technology and Media sectors, including Ebiquity, hVIVO, Time Inc., Clear Channel and Live Nation. Billy is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, having qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2001.
David Stredder interviews David Cicurel, Judges Scientific
David Cicurel, Chief Executive at Judges Scientific
David Cicurel founded Judges in 2002 having spent much of his career as a turnaround specialist and, subsequently, as an ‘active value’ investor operating with his own funds.
He has been responsible for several corporate recovery exercises including two UK public companies, International Media Communications plc (later known as Continental Foods) and International Communication and Data plc.
Mark Bentley introduces ShareSoc’s in-conversation event: Bank failures and their broader implications
Mark Bentley, ShareSoc Director
Mark Bentley tell us about a special event on Friday 31st March at 1pm. A conversation between ShareSoc Director Mark Bentley, Edison Investment Research Managing Director Rob Murphy and ShareSoc Director Mark Northway about the recent convulsions in the US and European banking system and consequent market turmoil. Rob was formerly Managing Director of Global Banks Investment Research for HSBC. Mark Northway is currently an investment manager at Sparrows Capital and previously held senior roles at a number of investment banks.
The Mello BASH (Buy, Avoid, Sell & Hold)
Mark Simpson Private Investor
Damian Cannon Private Investor
Kevin Taylor Private Investor
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