b'Strategic report Governance Financial statementsIan Metcalfe Non-executive ChairDate of appointment: December 2014 He is also a non-executive director of the global Experience: Ian is a qualified solicitor who retiredwaste management group TRRG Holdings Ltd and as managing partner of international law firma non-executive director of the AIM listed Arena Wragge & Co in 2014 after eight years in post. PriorEvents Group plc.Ian has an MA in law from to managing the business, Ian was a corporateCambridge University and his appointment as partner at the firm for 14 years, acting for aMercias Senior Independent Director in January 04 number of substantial public and private2017 recognised the continuing development and companies and private equity houses on a scale of the Group. He became Non-executive wide range of transactions. Ian is currently Chair on 2 July 2019.a director and chair of Commonwealth GamesIan has over 25 years experience advising England, a director of the Board of the businesses of all types and sizes on their growth Organising Committee of the Birmingham 2022activities, as well as deep corporate governance Commonwealth Games and the Host Cityexperience, both as a legal adviser to listed representative on the Commonwealth Gamesbusinesses and as a current and previous Federation Executive Board.non-executive board member of leading sports and other multinational organisations.Ray Chamberlain Non-executive DirectorDate of appointment: December 2014 setting up the Forward Innovation Fund, a trust Experience: Ray is an entrepreneur with anfocused on investing in university spinouts and established track record of shareholder valueother technology-led start-ups. Ray was creation. Until 1997, Ray was executive chairmanappointed Non-executive Chair at the time of the and the principal shareholder in Forward GroupGroups IPO and having steered Mercia Asset 05 PLC, which he grew from a start-up company Management through its first 18 months as a in 1978 to become one of Europes leadinglisted company, moved to a non-executive high-technology printed circuit boardposition in May 2016.manufacturers, listed on the Main Market of theRay has deep venture experience across several London Stock Exchange. In 1997 Forward Groupdecades and sectors, as both a founder of and accepted a 129.0million offer from PCBinvestor in many start-up businesses which have Investments plc, a company established by Hicks,resulted in successful cash exits. Muse, Tate & Furst. Subsequently, Ray diversified his interests in a number of areas, which included Dr Jonathan Pell Non-executive DirectorDate of appointment: December 2017 Since leaving Oracle Inc in 2012, JonathanExperience: Jonathan brings extensivehas founded his own early-stage technology experience in the technology sector, originally ininvestment vehicle, Thorium Technology both finance director and chief executive rolesInvestors, and currently sits on the boards ofand latterly in investing in and helping to scale upa number of young technology businesses. 06 technology ventures. Having qualified as aJonathan has a degree in zoology with marine chartered accountant at PwC, Jonathan gainedzoology from the University of Wales, Bangor and significant executive experience, firstly in seniora PhD in cell proliferation from the University of finance positions at Convergys Corporation (NYSEEast Anglia. CVG), Geneva Technology Ltd, Thomas CookJonathan has considerable venture and private Retail Ltd and Semitool Inc. He then became CEOequity investing experience, both as a CFO and at Datanomic Ltd, where he oversaw a twenty-foldCEO of private equity-backed businesses that increase in the companys global customer basehave successfully exited, and also as the founder and compound revenue growth of 105% over aof a technology focused venture angelfour-year period, before being purchased byinvestor group. Oracle Inc (NYSEORCL) in 2011. Caroline Plumb OBE Non-executive DirectorDate of appointment: June 2018 Caroline was awarded an OBE in the 2016 Birthday Experience: Caroline is a serial entrepreneur whoHonours list for services to business and charity. previously co-founded recruitment andShe has an MEng in engineering, economics and innovation consultancy FreshMinds, with clientsmanagement from Oxford University.07 including Jaguar Land Rover, Vodafone andCaroline is a serial start-up entrepreneur and is Google. She remains involved with FreshMinds ashighly effective in bringing her current venture non-executive chair and is CEO of Fluidly, whichcapital investee insights to Mercias Board and she founded in 2016, a venture-backed SaaSStrategy meetings. business in the fintech space. Caroline was previously an independent panel member of the 2.7billion Regional Growth Fund and served as one of Prime Minister David Camerons Business Ambassadors representing the Professional and Business Services sectors. Mercia Asset Management PLC 57Annual Report and Accounts 2020'