Board
Chair
Robin Saunders
Robin Saunders is a London based financier who has specialised in securitisation, capital markets and private equity for nearly 20 years. In 2004, she launched a Private Equity boutique, Clearbrook Capital Partners LLP, with the support of high net worth investors and financial institutions across Europe and the US. Clearbrook Capital Partners has since completed nine acquisitions across three platform companies. Until 2004, she was Managing Director of the Principal Finance Group at WestLB AG. She has specialised in acquisition and securitisation financing of strong cash flow businesses in a variety of sectors.
Robin’s client/partner list spans 12 countries and a variety of industries. She currently serves on several private company boards.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Robin graduated from Florida State University in 1984.
Executive Directors
Ciaran Morton - Chief Executive
Ciaran Morton, previously with The Thomson Corporation, has extensive public company experience and has held senior management roles in a number of Thomson companies, with considerable operating experience in Europe, America and Asia-Pacific.
In his last role as General Manager of Thomson Business Intelligence, Ciaran personally led the restructuring of a global business with clients in over 100 countries. Prior to this, aged 31, he was appointed to the board of M.A.I.D PLC in 1994 and led their expansion into Asia Pacific. Following an acquisition in 2000 Ciaran moved to the Thomson Corporation as Executive Vice President of The Dialog Corporation, a TLR (Thomson Legal and Regulatory) subsidiary, responsible for all non-US operations. Following Dialog's acquisition of Intelligence Data and NewsEdge, Ciaran led the successful integration of all international operations, with directorships in every key European market. In 2004 Dialog was unbundled to enable the component parts of the business to specialise in key areas and Ciaran led a period of substantial growth for the newly created Thomson Business Intelligence, one of the world's largest suppliers of online strategic business intelligence.
David Auger - Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary
David Auger is a chartered accountant, previously with PricewaterhouseCoopers, and has held a number of senior group finance positions in large UK PLCs including ICI and Invensys. In 2004 he joined CP Ships, a US$4 billion turnover container shipping company listed in Canada until October 2005 where he held the position of Group Financial Controller and was a member of the senior management team. David brings extensive financial expertise in listed companies and through his recent experience is used to dealing with rapidly changing and challenging environments. He is a Cambridge graduate and has a Masters in Finance from London Business School.
Non-Executive Directors
William Hughes CBE
William was appointed to the Board in March 2007 and is currently the Chairman of Fairfax I.S. PLC, an investment bank and Member of the London Stock Exchange.
William was the Chairman of Grampian Holdings PLC from 1985 to 1998 having previously been Chief Executive from 1976. Grampian Holdings PLC was an industrial holding company with both UK and International interests employing over 5,000 staff. He was Non Executive Chairman of Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust PLC for 15 years. Joining upon inception in 1990 with £13m under management, the Company had a market capitalisation of just over £500m at the time of his retirement in 2005.
William recently retired from being a Trustee of the Prince's Trust UK Council and Chairman of the Prince's Trust (Scotland).
