Board
Richard Griffiths, Executive Chairman
Richard Griffiths has been a director of a number of private and publicly owned companies. In 2000, Richard founded and was chairman of Evolution Capital Limited. He was an executive director of The Evolution Group Plc, the investment bank listed on the Official List and was executive chairman from March 2001 until May 2005. During this period The Evolution Group Plc acquired Beeson Gregory Group plc and progressed to become a constituent of the FTSE 250 index and a diversified financial group. In November 2005, Richard founded ORA. He has extensive experience of company management, equity capital markets, corporate finance and restructurings. He has also been active as an investor in small and emerging companies.
Michael Bretherton, Finance Director
Michael Bretherton graduated in Economics from University of Leeds in 1978. He worked as an accountant and manager with PriceWaterhouse for seven years in both London and the Middle East before joining The Plessey Company Plc in 1985 as a corporate financial manager. Michael was appointed finance director of the Bridgend Group Plc in 1988 where he was involved in the strategic evaluation and commercial implementation of a broad range of business initiatives over a twelve year period, including acquisitions, disposals and company restructurings. He subsequently worked at Mapeley Limited, the property and services company, as financial operations director until he was recruited by Lionhead Studios Limited, the entertainment software games developer, in 2002 where he helped to complete a venture capital syndicate funding and also a trade sale of the business to Microsoft in 2006. Michael joined ORA in May 2006 and was appointed to the Board in March 2007.
James Ede-Golightly, Executive Director
James Ede-Golightly graduated in Economics from St John's College, Cambridge. He joined Merrill Lynch Investment Managers where he worked as an analyst covering European credit and equity markets. James subsequently joined Commerzbank as an analyst and trader within the Special Situations proprietary trading team. James is a CFA Charter holder. James joined the board on 27th October 2007.
David Norwood, Non-executive Director
David Norwood graduated in Modern History from Keble College, Oxford. He worked as a foreign exchange trader at Bankers Trust and then as an investment analyst at Duncan Lawrie for four years. In 1997 he joined Williams de Broe to advise quoted and unquoted technology companies, working closely with them to advise on business plans, arrange funding and identify management teams. He left in 1999 to 14 establish The IndexIT Partnership to provide consultancy services to technology companies. On its acquisition of IndexIT in March 2000, he joined the board of Beeson Gregory Group Plc, becoming chief executive at the beginning of 2001. In October 2001, David concentrated on the group's investment activities, principally IP2IPO. He was the key to the origination of Beeson Gregory Group Plc's £20 million partnership with the University of Oxford, having been closely associated with the Oxford academic and technology communities for some years. David became an executive director of The Evolution Group Plc following its merger with Beeson Gregory in July 2002. He became a non-executive director of The Evolution Group Plc in September 2003 and resigned from that board in March 2004. David was chief executive of IP2IPO Group Plc (now called IP Group Plc) when it floated on AIM in October 2003 and is now Director of Special Projects. David joined ORA as a non-executive director in December 2005.
Beatrice Hollond, Non-executive Director
Beatrice Hollond graduated in Oriental Languages from Pembroke College, Oxford and is deputy chairman of Millbank Financial Services, an independent family office, and chairman of Millbank Investment Management Limited, its investment management subsidiary. She is also chairman of Artbar Limited and a director of Keystone Investment Trust plc and Oldfield & Co. (London) Limited. She was previously a managing director at Credit Suisse Asset Management, where she worked for 16 years, with a particular focus on global fixed income and currency investing. Beatrice joined the board of ORA as a non-executive director in February 2006.