The Board
The Directors, all of whom are non-executive, are responsible for the determination of the investment policy of the Company and for the overall supervision of the Company's activities. The Board of the Company has been assembled to give shareholders the benefit of international real estate, fund management and financing experience.
William Simpson
Director (Chairman)
William Simpson has over 30 years’ experience as a lawyer in financial services. His focus has been on regulated and unregulated investment vehicles, encompassing banking, finance, corporate, investment, trust and regulatory work.
William studied law at Leeds University and practised at the Bar in England before moving to the Cayman Islands and then the British Virgin Islands. William was a partner at Ozannes, now Mourant, and then managing partner of Ogier Guernsey, during which time he also served on the Ogier Group board.
In 2017 William became an independent consultant and remains a director of a number of Guernsey based financial services companies. William is a member of the English, Virgin Islands and Guernsey Bars and is also a member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
Jeff Chowdhry
Director
Jeff is currently a Partner at RLC Ventures, an early stage, software focused, VC fund. He has an investment career which spans over 35 years having held senior positions at F&C, as head of emerging markets and BMO Asset Management where he was responsible for Aum of over $5bn. He is an active Angel investor having backed over 30 start up companies and has several board advisory positions within these rapidly growing businesses.
Peter Griffin
Director
Peter Griffin has over 30 years’ experience in financial services and is a qualified chartered accountant. He is currently a director of three investment companies listed on The International Stock Exchange: Handelsbanken Alternatives Fund Limited, The London Central Portfolio Property Fund Limited and The London Central Residential Recovery Fund Limited. Peter previously had various senior roles in the trust services industry in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
Phillip Rose
Director
Phillip Rose is a Fellow of the Securities Institute and holds a Master of Law degree. He has over 40 years’ experience in the real estate, funds management and banking industries in Europe, the USA and Australasia. He has been the Head of Real Estate for ABN AMRO Bank, Chief Operating Officer of European shopping centre investor and developer TrizecHahn Europe, Managing Director of retail and commercial property developer and investor Lend Lease Global Investment and Executive Manager of listed fund General Property Trust.
Phillip is currently CEO of Alpha Real Capital LLP and has been a member of the Management Committee for Hermes Property Unit Trust and its Audit Committee, and has been a Non-Executive Director of Great Portland Estates plc.
Melanie Torode
Director
Mel Torode has 20 years' experience in the fund administration industry specifically including private equity, property and mezzanine debt and is an Independent Non-Executive Director.
Prior to founding Morgan Sharpe in April 2008 (a fund administration company sold to Estera, subsequently Ocorian, in 2017), Mel was the Company Secretary of Assura Administration, overseeing the administration of listed property funds. During the period from 2017 to 2021, Mel held the roles of Operations Director, Managing Director and subsequently Non-Executive of Ocorian Guernsey.
Mel began her career at Guernsey International Fund Managers (now Northern Trust), working on large private equity funds and European holding companies, moving to Mourant International Finance Administration (now State Street) where she spent more than two years concentrating primarily on listed property funds.
