10th May 2021, 5.30pm – 9.30pm
Dates for Upcoming events included in the Annual Pass:
Monday 10th May 2021
Monday 24th May 2021
Tuesday 25th May – Healthcare; Invest in Good Health
Monday 7th June 2021
Tuesday 15th June – Investment Trusts & Funds
Thursday 17th June – The Energy Transition
Monday 21st June 2021
Monday 19th July 2021
Programme for the evening
- 5.30pm Mello Welcome & News
- 5.40pm Company presentation by Smiths News
- 6.10pm Leon interviews Kieran Maguire – The Price of Football
- 6.40pm Company presentation by VR Education
- 7.20pm Company presentation by Smartspace Software
- 7.50pm Mark Simpson…When to Sell?
- 8.10pm Company presentation by The Panoply
- 8.50pm The Mello BASH & charity pledges – with Karin Schulte, Damian Cannon, David Stredder and Paul Scott
Leon Boros interviews Kieran Maguire
Leon Boros is a recently retired professional investor. Prior to his retirement he was founder and managing director of Equity Strategies, a boutique corporate finance firm. Leon started his career at EY where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
Leon has been investing since his late teens. In 1993 he opened his first PEP and has since achieved annualised returns of 18.42% (to Dec 2019).
Leon was previously a non-executive director of ShareSoc. Twitter: Leon Boros @Boros10
Kieran Maguire looks at the different ways in which professional football operates as a business – how clubs make their money, or more commonly, lose it. In particular he analyses how success is measured by the different and often competing stakeholders in football clubs – owners, managers, fans, players, commercial partners and the media. Throughout, he draws on a range of case studies using the finances of professional clubs in the UK and overseas to show how the traditional profit based approach of limited companies applies to football.
The book begins by interrogating the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement of the football club and explains how assets are financed and how clubs account for players in different ways.
Twitter: @KieranMaguire
Company Presentation – The Panoply plc
The Panoply is a technology-enabled services group, built to service clients’ digital transformation needs. Founded in 2016, with the aim of identifying and acquiring best-of-breed specialist information technology, design and innovation consulting businesses, the Group collaborates with its clients to deliver the technology outcomes they’re looking for at the pace that they expect and demand.
The Group is being increasingly recognised as a leading alternative digital transformation provider to the UK public services sector, with c.70% of its client base representing the public sector and c.30% representing the commercial sector.
Neal Gandhi
Neal is a serial tech entrepreneur having co-founded four companies that exited successfully with a combined value of £117m. He co-founded his first company at the age of 21 and, under the brand name of Jungle.com, that company went on to be sold to GUS for £37m. In 1996 he co-founded Xplora and sold it to Nasdaq-listed USWeb in 1998.
Neal then co-founded Attenda, a managed services consultancy which went on to be sold for £72m; one part to Telecity Plc and the other to Darwin Private Equity. In 2006 he founded QuickStart Global, an off-shore IT service provider, which grew rapidly, and in 2010 was listed in the Sunday Times Tech-Track 100 at number 3, his second company in that list with Attenda having been listed at number 2 in 2001.
Oliver Rigby
Oliver qualified as an accountant with MRI Moores Rowland LLP in 2006 before spending six years as an adviser in corporate finance with Daniel Stewart and Deloitte. Oliver acted as a Nominated Adviser to the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange and was one of their youngest Qualified Executives.
Prior to co-founding The Panoply, Oliver set up Growth Company FD Limited in 2012 to provide part time CFO and corporate finance support to growing businesses.
Company Presentation – SmartSpace Software plc
SmartSpace Software Plc is a SaaS-based technology business, designing and building smart software solutions. The Company’s software solutions in workspace help transform employee and customer engagement with modules which include desk management, meeting room management, wayfinding, car parking, visitor management, and analytics.
The three operating companies in the Group comprise:
- Space Connect – SaaS Meeting Room and Desk booking (www.spaceconnect.co)
- SwipedOn – SaaS Visitor Management (www.SwipedOn.com)
- Anders & Kern – distribution and technical support (www.anders-kern.co.uk)
Frank Beechinor, CEO
Frank was appointed Chairman of the Board in July 2014 and led the business through its restructuring from what was then Coms plc. He became CEO in July 2018 with the aim of leading SmartSpace plc to become a market leader in space management technology. He has significant corporate experience, particularly in the Software industry and building SaaS businesses. Until recently Frank served eight years as Non-Executive Chairman of AIM listed dotdigital Group plc. Frank is also a co-founder of Cadence Performance Ltd and was previously founder and CEO of OneClick HR plc from 1997 to 2011.
Company Presentation – VR Education plc
VR Education (AIM: VRE; Euronext Growth: 6VR) is a virtual reality (‘VR’) technology company focused on becoming a leading global provider of virtual communications solutions through its proprietary software platform, ENGAGE. ENGAGE provides users with a platform for creating, sharing, and delivering VR content for education, training, and online events through its three solutions: Virtual Campus, Virtual Office, and Virtual Events.
David Whelan, CEO
David is a tech entrepreneur and founder of Immersive VR Education. He is a former Editor-in-chief of Virtual Reality Reviewer and a multi-awarding winning VR director and producer with 10+ years web development, a background in app creation and programming large CRM systems. David believes in a future where education is accessible to all no matter your geographical location or financial status.
Seamus Larrissey, CFO
Seamus has 11+ years experience in finance. His previous roles include a senior finance position at TSSG Group looking after 100+ staff and researchers and as an auditor for Ernst & Young.
Company Presentation – Smiths News plc
Smiths News PLC and its core business, Smiths News, is the UK’s largest newspaper and magazine wholesaler, with an approximate 55 per cent. market share. It distributes newspapers and magazines on behalf of the major national and regional publishers, delivering to approximately 24,000 customers across England and Wales on a daily basis. The speed of turnaround and the density of Smiths News’ coverage is critical to one of the world’s fastest physical supply chains.
Ancillary businesses include: Dawson Media Direct (DMD) which supplies airlines and travel points in the UK; and Instore, which offers field marketing services to retailers and suppliers across the UK.
Tony Grace CFO
Tony brings extensive, recent and relevant finance and business transformation experience. These skills are essential in ensuring the Company complies with its accounting, financial reporting, financial and risk management policies and processes, as well as legal and regulatory requirements during its business transformation phase.
Tony was most recently Chief Financial Officer at Yodel Delivery Network and has previously held senior finance and operational roles at Virgin Media and Telewest.
Tony joined the Board on 5 November 2018.
Jonathan Bunting, CEO
Jonathan has deep commercial and operational leadership skills, combined with extensive experience gained within the newspaper and magazine distribution industry, experience which is critical for the long term development and execution of the Company’s strategic plans.
Jonathan joined WH Smith News in 1994. He rose through the organisation in a variety of sales and marketing managerial roles before being promoted to the executive management team in 2001. In April 2014, Jonathan became Managing Director of the Connect News & Media division and, subsequently, Chief Operating Officer in September 2017, a position which spanned wider group business interests held at the time, together with Smiths News. Following his appointment as Interim Chief Executive Officer on 5 November 2019, this appointment was confirmed on 15 June 2020.
Jonathan joined the Board on 1 April 2010.
Mark Simpson assesses When to Sell
Mark Simpson @DangerCapital
Author of Excellent Investing: How to Build a Winning Portfolio
A practical guide for investors who are looking to elevate their investment performance to the next level. Learn how to play to your strengths, overcome your weaknesses and build an optimal portfolio.
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