THE QUOTED COMPANIES ALLIANCE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Head of UK
- Portfolio Manager at Lombard Odier Asset Management
Adam McConkey was a previous Chair of The Quoted Companies Alliance.
Adam is Portfolio Manager at Lombard Odier Asset Management (Europe) Limited and has been a Fund Manager for nearly 2 decades, 15 years of which has been dedicated to investing in UK listed smaller companies.
Adam became Head of UK smaller companies at Gartmore in 2010 a role in which he continued in when Gartmore was acquired by Henderson in 2011. The team, known by Volantis, the name of their flagship fund, run circa £1b investing on behalf of public bodies, blue-chip pension funds, family offices and individuals, and is now part of Lombard Odier Asset Management (Europe) Limited.
Adam's sponsorship of good stewardship in investment decision making and the launch of product with dedicated active engagement strategies have seen him working closely with other stakeholders in the UK listed smaller company community to promote an infrastructure and policy environment that encourages investment. He is a member of the AIM advisory panel. Adam has a PhD in international relations and previously lectured in politics and economics.
Ben is the Policy Officer and joined the Quoted Companies Alliance in February 2023. He is responsible for coordinating the work the of the seven policy expert groups, responding to consultation papers and contributing to the organisation's policy positions.
Prior to joining the QCA, Ben worked in both Policy and Grant Fundraising in the charity sector. Ben holds a BA (Hons) in Politics from Newcastle University and an MA in Legal and Political Theory from University College London (UCL).
Chris is the Membership Manager and joined the Quoted Companies Alliance in 2001. Chris ensures our members' needs are addressed and is responsible for providing daily assistance to new and existing members.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Events Executive
Claire is our Marketing & Events Executive and joined our team in August 2023. She is responsible for coordination of events for the Quoted Companies Alliance & supporting the Head of Marketing & Events.
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- PA and Office Manager
- PA to the CEO
Cleo is the PA to the CEO. Cleo is the secretary for the board of directors and is responsible for the general management of the office.
Job Titles:
- Kam Lally Wedlake Bell LLP
Gary Thorpe is a retired solicitor and was the senior corporate finance partner of a major City firm until his retirement in April 2020. In a City career lasting over 35 years, he primarily advised quoted companies on raising capital and M&A transactions. During this time, he advised small and mid-sized quoted companies and nominated advisers and brokers on AIM transactions from the time that the AIM market was founded in 1995. He was Chairman of the QCA's Legal Expert Group between 2013 and 2017.
Georgina Brittain is managing director and is a portfolio manager for small and mid cap strategies within the J.P. Morgan Asset Management International Equity Group - Behavioural Finance Team, based in London. Georgina is a fund manager for the JPM UK Smaller Companies Fund, the JPMorgan Smaller Companies Investment Trust and co-manager for the JPMorgan Mid Cap Investment Trust. She is also a co-manager for a range of European small cap funds. An employee since 1995, Georgina was previously an analyst in the UK research department. Georgina obtained an M.A. in Classics from Oxford University, and earned a Diploma in Law from City University, London. She is a qualified barrister.
Gervais Williams was a previous Chairman of the Quoted Companies Alliance and took on the honorary, non-board position of QCA President in October 2023.
Gervais manages a number of funds that aggregate to over £1bn. He is also Senior Executive Director at Miton Group plc. Gervais's fund management career extends over 30 years including 17 years at Gartmore. In 2011, he joined Miton Group plc where he has set up a number of new funds with Martin Turner, that in aggregate now exceed £1.5bn. He sits on a number of industry bodies including the board of The Investment Association, and is an advisor the AIM Advisory Council and the government's Patient Capital Review.
Gervais is the author of a number of books on the changing economic outlook going forward, and a regular industry commentator on the Radio 4 Today program. His first book 'Slow Finance' was published in the autumn of 2011, with his second book 'The Future is Small' in November 2014, and his third book ‘The Retreat of Globalisation' in December 2016.
Hayley is the Head of Operations and joined the Quoted Companies Alliance in 1997. She is responsible for the development of member benefits and services, ensuring that members needs are addressed and helping members to make the most of their memberships. She also manages and develops sponsorship opportunities.
Job Titles:
- Policy and Research Manager at the QCA
Iqra is the Policy and Research Manager at the QCA. Her role involves leading on the development and production of key reports and publications to provide a robust evidence base to support the organisation's work. She monitors the market for any political and regulatory developments whilst also working on consultation responses in collaboration with members of the QCA community.
Prior to joining the QCA, she was a senior research analyst at a legal research firm. She holds an MSc in International Public Policy from UCL and a BA (Hons) in English Literature from the University of Kent.
Jack is the Head of Policy and is responsible for building the organisation's policy positions and strategy, leading on engagement with policymakers and regulators, responding to consultation papers and maintaining and updating the QCA's Corporate Governance Code and various guides and reports.
Prior to joining the Quoted Companies Alliance, Jack worked in a Public Affairs role for a major international charity and also worked for Victoria Prentis MP in her constituency office and interned for Andrea Leadsom MP. Jack holds a BA (Hons) in International Relations from the University of Leeds.
James Ashton is Chief Executive of the Quoted Companies Alliance, the members' organisation that champions small and mid-sized companies whose shares are publicly traded. James was City Editor and Executive Editor of the Evening Standard and Independent titles and before that City Editor of the Sunday Times. He is the author of several business books and chairs Oscar's Book Prize, the annual search for the UK's best picture book. James is also a non-executive director of Finsbury Growth & Income, the FTSE 250 investment trust.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Partner of Downing
Judith MacKenzie became Chair of the Quoted Companies Alliance in October 2022.
Judith is a Partner of Downing LLP having joined Downing in October 2009. She is Partner responsible for the Public Equity Division which manages a number of strategies with a value boas. Judith is Lead Manager on the award winning MI Downing Micro Cap Fund and Downing Strategic Micro-Cap Investment Trust. Previously she was a partner at Acuity Capital managing AIM-quoted VCT and IHT investments and a small-cap activist fund. Prior to Acuity, Judith spent c. 8 years as a senior investment manager with Aberdeen Asset Management Growth Capital as co Fund Manager of the 5 Aberdeen VCTs, focusing on technology and media investments in both the public and private arenas. In total Judith has over 20 years micro-cap and small cap fund management and broking experience. Judith is a Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and sits on a number of public and private company Boards.
Kellie has over 23 years of dealing with global regulation and risk management in the financial services industry. In the last three years Kellie has established a consulting company in advising and help c-suite executives to implement change in sustainability, compliance and risk management.
Prior to consulting, Kellie held the role of Chief Compliance Officer at Franklin Templeton for 13 years where she was responsible for ensuring regulations issued in EMEA and Asia Pacific aligned to global operations and the firm remained competitive in over 100 markets. Her compliance and risk responsibilities extend to the compliance regimes across various investment vehicles listed on stock exchanges.
Kellie has an executive MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management. Outside of consulting, she is a career coach to executives and a London based charity for disadvantaged kids in the UK.
Job Titles:
- Financial Accountant
- Management Accountant
Khin is a financial accountant with an over 15-year career in financial accounting. Her professional journey has encompassed roles in the private sector and entrepreneurship before she joined her current position as a Management Accountant at QCA, where she is responsible for all financial aspects of the organisation.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Governance Deputy Chair
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Trustee of Carers Trust
Linda is a Trustee of Carers Trust, a leading charity working to transform the lives of unpaid carers. She also sits on two private company boards.
Linda is a Chartered Accountant who retired from KPMG LLP in September 2023 after a long career leading their Capital Markets Advisory Group. Linda has advised on well over 100 IPOs and significant transactions by listed companies of all sizes ranging from start ups to members of the FTSE 100. She was also a member of the UK board of KPMG where she chaired the Risk Committee and sat on the Audit Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Senior Corporate Partner in the London Office of Dorsey & Whitney
Mark Taylor is Chair of the QCA's Legal Expert Group.
Mark is a senior corporate partner in the London office of Dorsey & Whitney, specialising in UK securities law and mergers and acquisitions. He has advised banks and issuers (including non-English domiciled companies) on over 50 flotations and secondary issues (rights issues and open offers) both on AIM and the main market of the London Stock Exchange. He is listed in public equity 'Leaders in their Field' category in Chambers Directory.
Mark has been an active ambassador for the AIM market and has given seminars on AIM at conferences and other events both in the UK and abroad.
Paul Watts is our Treasurer and is a Partner at RSM. Paul has been Treasurer since October 2010 and has been a member of our board since 2009.
Paul is a capital markets and audit assurance partner at RSM in London specialising in listed companies. He has been with RSM (and its predecessor firms through various mergers) since 1985. Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and a member of the Securities Institute.
He heads the RSM UK energy and natural resources sector group and also runs the RSM UK/Asia Pacific desk coordinating work between the UK and key Asia Pacific markets including China. With over 30 years of experience, Paul has worked on many flotations and capital markets transactions in the UK for domestic and international clients, primarily in the energy and natural resources, technology, media and financial services sectors.
Job Titles:
- Next 15 Communications Group Plc As Its Chief Financial Officer
Peter Harris joined Next 15 Communications Group plc as its Chief Financial Officer in November 2013 and was appointed as Executive Director in March 2014. Peter's financial experience spans 30 years and he has extensive media experience, having spent the last 20 years in finance roles in the media sector. From July 2013 until December 2018, he was a Non-Executive Director of Communisis plc and Chairman of its Audit Committee. He was previously the Interim Finance Director at Centaur Media plc, Interim CFO of Bell Pottinger LLP, CFO of the Engine Group, and CFO of 19 Entertainment. Prior to that, he was Group Finance Director of Capital Radio plc. Peter has considerable experience in UK and US listed companies, with international exposure.
Ruby is the Communications Officer and joined the Quoted Companies Alliance in May 2021. She is responsible for communication activities around policy, membership and events.
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Non - Executive Chair of AIM
Sangita Shah is the non-executive Chair of AIM traded Kinovo plc and RA International plc, lead board director of NASDAQ listed Forward Industries Inc. and serves on the board of Inspired plc and Ten Entertainment Group plc. Additionally, she serves as investor director on a small portfolio of private companies.
Sangita has extensive experience in corporate finance, journalism and senior consultancy. She has held a number of senior roles within blue chip organisations, including Unilever, Mars, Ernst & Young and KPMG, was a former board director of Swindon Town FC and a past President of the Chartered Institute of Journalists. She has consulted to a number of organisations that include HM Cabinet Office, HSBC and other blue chip companies.
Sangita is a qualified accountant and a frequent keynote Chair and speaker in forums for the Windsor Leadership Trust and in the past the European Parliament.
Job Titles:
- Audit Partner at BDO LLP
- Specialist
Scott Knight is an Audit Partner at BDO LLP. Scott leads BDO's Audit & Assurance practice nationally which comprises 1,400 people and accounts for over a third of the firm's revenue. He is also a member of the firm's Leadership Team and the Risk Committee.
Scott is a specialist in the governance issues facing smaller listed companies and writes extensively on this area. He is a member of the FRC's Audit & Assurance Council which advises the FRC on matters in this area.
Scott also specialises in the Natural Resources sector where he acts for a number of AIM listed exploration and production companies and is recognised as an expert on accounting issues in the sector and is quoted in trade journals on financial issues.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive of Peel Hunt
Steven has been the Chief Executive of Peel Hunt since 2016. Prior to become Chief Executive, he co-ran the firm as Managing Partner and Head of Equities. Steven led the management and staff buy-out of Peel Hunt from KBC bank in 2010.
Steven was a founding member of D. E. Shaw Securities International, which later became the core of KBC Financial Products. At KBC he managed the Japanese and Asian Equity, Convertible and Derivatives operations in Tokyo.
Steven has been a judge for the Non Executive Director Awards for over 10 years. Steven has an accountancy degree.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Innovate Finance As a Consultant
Thin started her career at RSM Audit before founding her own firm in 2010, TNC Accountancy Services Limited, which provides independent and outsourced accounting and consultancy services. Thin worked with The QCA as a consultant between 2011 and 2023 and therefore has extensive knowledge of the organisation, its strategies and its operations.
Thin joined Innovate Finance as a consultant in 2017 and then joined the executive board as CFO in 2021. With over 20 years' experience within audit practices and exposure to many different industries, Thin has also been involved in the audits of AIM listed companies, IPOs, advising FCA registered and start-up businesses, and not for profit organisations. Thin currently supports the CEO of Innovate Finance with operational and financial strategies, risk management, HR and team management, as well as overseeing the organisation's international hubs network.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Governance Chair