The Board of Graphite Enterprise has extensive experience of private equity and of many other fields. The Board is comprised entirely of independent non-executives.
Roll-over the name of each director to see a brief CV opposite:
Roll-over the name of each director to see a brief CV here
Peter Dicks
Peter Dicks, 65, was appointed to the Board in 1998. He was co-founder of Abingworth plc, a venture capital investment company, where he worked from 1973 to 1991.
Since then he has been non-executive director or chairman of a number of companies. He is currently chairman of Private Equity Investor plc and Sportingbet plc, and a director of Polar Capital Technology Trust PLC, MearsGroup PLC and Standard Microsystems Corporation, a U.S. based Nasdaq listed company.
Mr Dicks is the Chairman of the Audit Committee and is the senior independent non-executive director.
Michael Cumming
Michael Cumming, 67, was appointed to the Board in 1999. He has been involved in private equity for 39 years having helped found Midland Montagu Industrial Finance in 1969 and Barclays Private Equity in 1979. He was Managing Director of the latter from 1981 to 1995.
Since then he has undertaken a wide range of non-executive roles. He is currently Chairman of Private & Commercial Finance PLC, and Chairman of the Advisory Committees for Mercia Fund 1 and 2 and a director of other quoted and unquoted companies.
Mark Fane (Chairman)
Mark Fane, 49, was appointed to the Board in 2000. He was a director of Graphite Capital Management from 1988 until 1990 and was executive chairman of Waterers Landscape plc from 1990 until its sale in 2003.
He is Chairman and Chief Executive of Crocus.co.uk Limited, an internet-based gardening retailer established in 1999.
He is a non-executive director of the commercial arm of the Royal Horticultural Society and was also a non-executive director of Ottakar´s, a former portfolio company of Graphite Enterprise, from 1992 until its takeover by HMV in July 2006.
Sean O'Connor
Sean O´Connor, 59, was appointed to the Board in 2001. He worked in advertising for a number of leading agencies from 1970 to 1991, culminating in the role of vice Chairman of Lowe International.
He was the founder of Stoves Group PLC and Chairman until 2001.
He is currently Chairman of Babel Media, Premium Appliance Brands and Springboard Urban. He was chairman of Applied Energy Holdings Limited, a company in the portfolio of Graphite Enterprise until its sale in September 2007. He is a non-executive director of a number of public and private companies including Cape plc, Sportingbet plc, Crow TV and Escape Studios.
Jeremy Tigue
Jeremy Tigue, 48, was appointed to the Board in March 2008. He has been the fund manager of Foreign & Colonial investment Trust plc since 1997 and a deputy chairman of the Association of Investment Companies since 2006. He is the Head of Global Equities at F&C Management, which he joined in 1981. He is also an Investment Advisor to the BP and British Steel pension funds.