The Board

Arthur Copple

Chairman

Arthur Copple, Chairman, was appointed a director in 2011. He has specialised in the investment company sector for over 30 years. He was a partner at Kitcat & Aitken, an executive director of Smith New Court PLC and a managing director of Merrill Lynch. He is currently a director of Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC and The University of Brighton Academies Trust.

Sonita Alleyne

Director

Sonita Alleyne was appointed a director in 2019. She is Master, Jesus College Cambridge. She is also the founder of The Yes Programme, a unique online service that helps school pupils make career decisions. She is a Governor at the Museum of London and currently holds a number of non-executive board roles. Previous board roles include Chair of the BBFC’s Management Committee; the BBC Trust; National Employment Panel; the London Skills and Employment Board; Chair of the Radio Sector Skills Council; non-executive director of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; and membership of the Court of Governors at the University of the Arts London. In 2003, was awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting.

Sir Richard Jewson*

Director

Sir Richard Jewson, senior independent director, was appointed a director in 2001. He first worked in the timber and building material supply industry, becoming managing director of Jewson, the builders’ merchants, for twelve years from 1974, and then managing director and chairman of its parent company Meyer International PLC from which he retired in 1993. He is currently chairman of Raven Property Limited and Tritax Big Box REIT PLC and a non-executive director of other private companies.

Lesley Sherratt

Director

Lesley Sherratt was appointed a director in 2015. She was formerly Investment Director for the Save & Prosper and Fleming Flagship range of funds, and CEO & CIO of Ark Asset Management Ltd. She has over twenty years experience investing in the financial sector, including investment trusts, and served as a director and Chair of US Small Companies Investment Trust. She is currently a director of a private foundation, a trustee of the Medical Research Foundation and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, lectures in global business ethics at King‘s College London and is the author of ‘Can Microfinance Work? How to Improve its Ethical Balance and Effectiveness‘.

Richard Wyatt

Director

Richard Wyatt was appointed a director in 2017. He is a former Group Managing Director at Schroders, Lazard and a Vice Chairman at Rothschild. He was Chairman of the media agency Engine Group and served on the Regulatory Decisions Committee of the FSA. He is currently Chairman of Loudwater Partners Limited and a director of a number of other companies.

Shefaly Yogendra

Director

Shefaly Yogendra, PhD was appointed a director in 2019. She was most recently the COO of Ditto AI, a symbolic AI startup. She built her career in corporate venturing in the technology industry, followed by strategy advisory to investors, regulators and leaders of operating companies on strategic investment in emergent and regulated technologies. She focuses on digital and tech leadership and governance, organisational growth, risk, and decision making. She is an independent governor of London Metropolitan University, and a non exec director on the board of the LSE-listed JP Morgan US Smaller Co.s Investment Trust. She was listed among the "100 Women To Watch" in the 2016 edition of the Female FTSE Board Report.