| Directors |
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Simon Hunt, aged 58 years Non-Executive Chairman Having trained and practiced as a corporate lawyer (with Macfarlanes and Jones Day (formerly Gouldens)), Simon moved into venture capital with Gartmore Investment Management Limited specialising mainly in technology, particularly in the US. Simon subsequently ran his own venture capital and M&A advisory business before gaining operational experience through being CEO of a technology based public company, Stordata Solutions plc. Simon is Executive Chairman of Ipso Ventures, an AIM quoted university intellectual property commercialisation business focused on life sciences and technology including environmental sciences such as alternative and renewable energy. Simon has had significant involvement in a variety of mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings and has worked with both public and private companies from start up to a mature stage. Paul Benetti, aged 46 years Chief Executive Paul has been a director of the Company since its formation and has been responsible for the initial establishment of the Company’s operations in Madagascar. Prior to this, he held senior management positions (including CEO) in public companies and was a Director in the Investment Banking Division of Macquarie Bank Limited, where he gained significant experience in public company management and corporate finance operations. Paul is a Chartered Accountant with a B.Com in Accounting from the University of Western Australia and is responsible for the corporate operations of the Company. Malcolm Williams, aged 61 years Non-Executive Director Malcolm spent 38 years at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein Limited (formerly Kleinwort Benson Limited) based in Europe and Asia. From 2000 to 2004 he was Chief Operating Officer of Global Private Equity, prior to which he served as Chief Operating Officer of Global Finance. Between 1985 and 1998 he was resident in Hong Kong as Chief Executive of Kleinwort Benson (Hong Kong) Limited, where he was responsible for the bank’s business in Hong Kong, China and South East Asia, and subsequently, following its acquisition by Dresdner Bank, as Chief Operating Officer Asia. Prior to his time in Asia, from 1983 to 1985 he was a member of the board of management of Kleinwort Benson (Deutschland) GmbH based in Bremen. He retired from the Allianz Dresdner Group in 2004. He is Non Executive Chairman of Financial Payment Systems Limited and a Non Executive Director of European Venture Partners Limited and Strathdon Investments plc and is on the Advisory Boards of Vermilion Partners Limited and CP Equity Partners. In April 2007 Malcolm was appointed a Non Executive Director of Northacre Plc. |
