Board of directors
Stephen Wicks, Chief Executive (aged 59) was the founding shareholder and chief executive of Country & Metropolitan plc, which was floated on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in December 1999 with a market capitalisation of £6.9 million. He directed the growth of Country & Metropolitan plc until its disposal in April 2005 to Gladedale Holdings plc for approximately £72 million. Mr Wicks has worked in the construction and housebuilding sector all of his working life and has extensive knowledge of local and national policies on both green field and brown field sites.
Nishith Malde, FCA Finance Director and Company Secretary (aged 52) qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1985 with KPMG and specialised in advising owner managed businesses. He left KPMG in 1989 to set up a consultancy firm which later merged with an audit practice where he was the partner responsible for the affairs of Country & Metropolitan plc. Mr Malde joined Country & Metropolitan plc as finance director and company secretary in November 1998. He was actively involved in the preparation for the flotation of Country & Metropolitan plc in December 1999 and its further development (which included acquisitions and disposals) until it was acquired by Gladedale Holdings plc in April 2005. Mr Malde is also a director of AIM listed company, Energiser Investment PLC.
Terry Roydon, Non Executive Chairman (aged 63) holds a B.Sc. in Estate Management from the University of London and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He was previously chief executive of Prowting plc, a UK house builder, which he led to flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 1988. The company was subsequently purchased by Westbury plc in June 2002 for £140 million. Since 1998, Mr Roydon has been a consultant and member of the board of Dom Development S.A., a major quoted Polish residential developer, together with a number of non-executive and consultancy positions in UK and continental housebuilding companies, including holding non-executive board positions with AIM quoted Engel East Europe N.V., Country & Metropolitan plc (until 2005), Gladedale Holdings plc and McCann Homes Holdings Limited. From 1995 to 1997 he was president of the European Union of House builders and Developers.
Simon Bennett, Non Executive Director (aged 52) has over 20 years investment banking experience in the City. Mr Bennett qualified as a chartered accountant with Saffery Champness in 1977. In 1982 he joined stockbrokers Scrimgeour Kemp Gee which was subsequently acquired by Citicorp (now Citigroup) in 1986. Thereafter, Mr Bennett was instrumental in establishing the mid and small cap advisory business of Citicorp Scrimgeour Vickers which was focused on fast growing mid and small cap companies. In June 1990, Mr Bennett joined Credit Lyonnais Securities and, following the defection of a team to a rival company, became Head of Corporate Finance and Head of the mid and small caps team in June 2000.
In June 2004 Mr Bennett left Credit Lyonnais, following its acquisition by Credit Agricole, and established Incremental Capital LLP to provide corporate finance advice to mid and small cap companies. In the latter part of 2005, Mr Bennett joined Baker Tilly as Managing Director of Baker Tilly and Co. Limited. He has recently left the practice to concentrate full time on growing Citicourt & Co. Limited, where he was the Managing Director and the majority shareholder. In late 2007, Mr Bennett joined Fairfax IS PLC the independent investment bank as Head of Corporate Broking. Mr Bennett is also non-executive chairman of Energiser Investments PLC and a number of other private companies.