Board of Directors
John Farrugia, Joint Chief Executive Officer
John was appointed to the Board as Chief Executive Officer (Designate) on 8 July 2022, and became Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 September 2022. He has over 20 years' experience in investment banking, primarily within mergers and acquisitions, and has an outstanding deal completion track record within the technology and tech enabled business services sectors. John graduated with a degree in Economics from the University of London in 2000. He started his career within the technology M&A division of DC Advisory (formerly Close Brothers) and subsequently Strata Technology Partners before moving to Cavendish.
Julian Morse, Joint Chief Executive Officer
Julian was appointed to the Board as Joint Chief Executive Officer on 7 September 2023, having served as an Executive Director of Cenkos since May 2020 and, as Chief Executive Officer from May 2021.
Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer, Julian was head of the Cenkos Growth Companies Team. He led that team from 2016 and was one if its founding members, having joined Cenkos in 2006. Julian has over 28 years’ experience in the City where he has advised and raised equity on IPOs and secondary fund raisings for a wide range of companies across a broad range of sectors. Previously, Julian was a Director at Beeson Gregory and Evolution Securities.
Lisa Gordon, Chair of the Combined Group Board
Lisa Gordon was appointed as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Company on 7 September 2023, having held the same position at Cenkos since June 2020.
Lisa has almost 30 years of board experience, in both Executive and Non-Executive roles at both listed and private companies. Lisa is a Non-Executive Director of Alpha Group International plc, a listed corporate foreign exchange specialist and she chairs their Remuneration Committee. She is also a Non-Executive Director of JP Morgan Mid-Cap Investment Trust plc, Magic Light Pictures Limited, a leading film and television production company, and is Board Adviser to Fulcrum Asset Management LLP. Lisa served as a Non-Executive Director of M&C Saatchi plc, the listed global marketing group, between March 2020 and June 2023.
Lisa has held a number of Senior and Board positions. She was a co-founder and the Corporate Development Director of Local World plc (prior to its acquisition by Trinity Mirror) (2012-2015), the Chief Operating Officer of Yattendon Group (2007-2013), a private conglomerate, and the Director of Corporate Development of Chrysalis Group PLC, the media group (1994-2004). Prior to this, Lisa’s early background was in financial services as an analyst with County NatWest Securities.
Lisa is the Chairs the Company’s Nomination Committee and is also a member of the Audit & Risk Committee and the Remuneration Committee.
Ben Procter, Chief Financial Officer
Ben was appointed to the Board as Chief Financial Officer on 7 September 2023, having served a Chief Financial Officer of Cenkos since December 2022 He is an experienced finance professional, having led teams in Finance, Risk, Technology & Operations, during his 25 year career at UBS. He has a track record of innovation and cross-functional transformation, focussed on data and analytics. He spearheaded UBS’s Service Management framework, driving cost transparency and accountability throughout the firm. Prior to this he established the firmwide Reporting & Analytics function, developing KPIs to drive behaviour and measure progress. Ben is a dual citizen having spent half his career based in the US, working in the New York area.
Richard Snow, Chief Operating Officer
Richard joined finnCap as Chief Financial Officer in May 2020, and became Chief Operating Officer in September 2023 following completion of the merger with Cenkos. He has held CFO and senior finance roles in several organisations and brings a wide range of senior financial experience and expertise to the Board. He has also held senior investor relations roles and through his extensive investment banking career has wide experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestments and capital fund raising.
Prior to joining the Group, Richard was the Finance Director and Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration of the UK law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen in 1991 and moved to the investment banking industry gaining 15 years' experience in corporate advisory at Charterhouse, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Nomura. From 2006 to 2011 Richard was director of M&A and then Investor Relations at Vodafone Group plc. From early 2014, he was Director of Investor Relations of Ladbrokes plc and then, from December 2015, he served on its Executive Committee as acting Chief Financial Officer leading the finance team through the merger with Coral.
Mark Astaire, Independent Non-Executive Director
Mark was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director on 1 January 2024, and brings over 35 years of investment banking experience to the Board having held a number of senior leadership positions including Chairman of Corporate Broking at Barclays and Head of Corporate Broking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Mark was also a member of the Takeover Panel.
Mark is a member of the board of Sky News (which protects the editorial independence of Sky News), a Trustee of the charity Breast Cancer Now and a member of the International Advisory Board of the University of Edinburgh Business School.
Annette Andrews, Independent Non-Executive Director
Annette joined the Board as an independent Non-Executive Director in January 2022. Annette brings substantial HR and people expertise to the Board after a 30-year career in HR roles in both regulated financial and commercial environments.
Over the past 15 years Annette has held senior HR leadership positions at Lloyd’s of London (Chief People Officer), Catlin Insurance (HR Director), Lloyds Banking Group PLC (various roles including Head of HR Americas) and the Ford Motor Company in Europe and the UK.
On leaving Lloyd’s of London in 2020, Annette founded Acaria Coaching and Consultancy Ltd, working with individuals and organisations globally to help them achieve their full potential. Annette is MBA and FCIPD qualified and an Executive Coach and HR Consultant.
Annette is currently a non-executive director of Foxtons Group plc and the Company of Human Resource Professionals and Chair of Strengths in Communities, a community interest charity.
Jeremy Miller, Independent Non-Executive Director
Jeremy Miller was appointed a Non-executive Director of the Company in September 2023, having served as a non-executive director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Cenkos since July 2019.
Jeremy has over 30 years’ investment banking experience working for leading financial services firms. He held senior roles at Centerview Partners (2009 – 2016) including London Chief Operating Officer, Simon Robertson Associates (2004 – 2009), Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (1991 – 2003) including being Head of the European M&A Department and James Capel (1985 -1991). Prior to 1985, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG and had been seconded to The Takeover Panel. He was previously a non-executive director at Countryside Properties and chaired their Audit and Remuneration Committees. He is Chairman of The National Merchant Buying Society, one of the UK’s largest co-operative societies, and a non-executive director of CPP Group plc and This Land.
