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Directors of FreshTL PLC

Derek Lewis, aged 64, Non-Executive Chairman
Derek Lewis has had a successful career in the IT industry, working initially for IBM, and then spending the last 25 years as an entrepreneur investing in a number of start-ups (including the outsourcing firm Vertex Data Science), leading an MBO of MBS Product Sales Limited from MBS plc and gaining wide experience of the private equity world both as management backed by private equity and within a private equity firm. He has wide experience in the roles of Chairman and Director in the public and private areas and in both executive and non-executive capacities. Chairman of Remuneration and Audit Committees.

 

John McGuire, aged 52, Chief Executive
John McGuire, the CEO of FreshTL, has over 20 years of experience in developing and exiting start up technology businesses both in the private and public sectors. He previously co-founded and was CEO of Red Squared Plc and before that he was the co-founder and managing director of Datel Advanced Systems Limited, both IBM business partners.

 

Stephen Blank, aged 59, Finance Director
Stephen Blank qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in 1976. He joined General Surety & Guarantee Co Ltd, an insurance company specialising in performance bonds in 1977 and then joined BDO Binder Hamlyn in 1981 and became a partner in 1983. He specialised in corporate finance, and was named Reporting Accountant on the Norweb float. He joined Swinton Insurance as Group Planning and Finance Director in 1989, leaving in 1991 following its acquisition by Royal Sun Alliance. He then commenced acting as part-time finance director or non-executive director for a small portfolio of SMEs. Over a period several of these have progressed from start up, via fund-raising and on to an exit.

 

Timothy Branton, aged 43, Group Product Director

Tim Branton is a Business Development specialist with 20 years' experience in the chemicals, telecoms and business services sectors. He worked for ICI for 9 years in a number of marketing and business development roles in the UK and South Africa before joining Cable & Wireless Global Marine in 1998. Tim managed Global Marine's business in the Far East, including gaining extensive board level experience in China and Japan. He went on to run Global Marine's Business Development and R&D unit.

He was Managing Director of aatranslations from 2005-2009, establishing an entirely web-based workflow and document management system for customers, translators and project managers and gaining ISO9001 accreditation for the business. In 2009 he established TSL to build a SaaS policy management tool aimed at businesses adhering to standards such as ISO9001, or operating in heavily regulated sectors such as healthcare and financial services.

 

James Grossman, aged 71, Non-Executive Director
James H. Grossman is an international businessman and corporate and international lawyer with over 35 years of experience which includes serving on the boards of directors of public companies based both in the United States and the United Kingdom which have been listed on NASDAQ, London Stock Exchange, AIM and the TSX Venture Exchange. He is a graduate of the Harvard Law School with business activities in London, Geneva, Calgary, and San Francisco. He has had both management and operational experience. Member of Remuneration and Audit Committees.

 

Angus Matheson, aged 51, Non-Executive Director

After reading law, Angus Matheson was involved in the start-up of In-Time in 1981. This company operates watch sales and service concessions in major department stores and grew to become the largest company in this field in the UK. He became Managing Director in 1987 and sold the company in 1999 to a venture capital owned international retailer for whom he continued to work until 2006, when he led a venture capital backed management buy-out. He has also had non-executive experience in a trade organisation and a charitable trust.