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Stephen
Holton
CEO |
John Townsend
Chairman |
Chief Executive: Stephen Holton, BSc, MBA, MIoD
Stephen is a key founder of CIP starting the company in 2004 after leading the acquisition by EEDA from Corning Inc. He has developed the company from an R&D operation to a growing and successful commercial business.
His early career developed into a senior position for the Boots Company Ltd within their R&D department, progressing to pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing operations management, responsible for 4 manufacturing facilities and 100 staff.
He gained his MBA from the Open University Business School in 2000 and was then asked to develop the UK operations of Fisons Plc, preparing the division for an MBO. Stephen was part of the management team that grew the business valuation by factor of 8 before its successful acquisition by US chemical company Scotts Inc.
Stephen was appointed Director of Enterprise and Innovation for the UK DTI’s East of England Development Agency in 2002 responsible for all industry operations with a £40m budget before becoming CEO of CIP Ltd.
John Townsend, Chairman
CIP’s Chairman is John Townsend, who is currently Managing Director of Chord Capital Ltd, which manages a number of technology ventures. John is a Director of Atraverda Ltd, Metalysis Ltd, and Sagentia Group Ltd. He also works with the Universities as Surrey, Brunel and Reading on the management of the Cascade Fund, a University Challenge Fund.
John Townsend has an Economics degree from the University of Manchester, and thirty years experience in the investment industry, including significant involvement in Venture Capital. John began his career as a financial analyst with stockbrokers Hoare Govett, before moving to investment management focusing on small capitalization equities in Europe. Subsequently John moved into management roles in the industry, building an investment business in the US for Warburgs, the investment bank (later to become Mercury Asset Management plc) and then establishing a similar business in Tokyo. As a Founding Partner in Sagitta Asset Management in London, John became involved in establishing several Hedge and Private Equity Funds, ultimately selling out of the business and devoting his interest to investing in early stage technology companies and becoming closely involved with growth, management funding and, in some cases market listing of companies on the AIM market.
John brings this depth of knowledge to CIP at a time of significant growth potential.
