Directors
ROBIN HALLAM (Chairman)
(independent non-executive)
Until 31 December 2015, Robin Hallam was a partner and co-head of Asset Finance at international law firm Hogan Lovells where he was a partner since 1995 specialising in aircraft finance, particularly leasing, export credit and structured financing. From 1 January 2016 until 31 December 2016, Robin was a consultant at Hogan Lovells. In April 2017 Robin became a consultant at Bird & Bird. He has represented financial institutions, operating lessors, investors, airlines and export credit agencies. Robin holds a degree in law from Trinity College, Cambridge, is a member of the International Society for Transport Aircraft Trading and is currently ranked Senior Statesmen in Chambers UK 2017.
DAVID GELBER
(independent non-executive)
David Gelber began his career with Citibank in London in 1974. Over the course of the next 20 years he held a variety of trading roles in foreign exchange, fixed income and derivatives, at Citibank, Chemical Bank and HSBC where he was Chief Operating Officer of HSBC Global Markets. In 1994 he joined ICAP, an inter-dealer broker, as COO and oversaw two mergers and a number of acquisitions. He is currently the non-executive Chairman of Walker Crips PLC, a stock broker and wealth manager; and a non-executive director of IPGL, a holding company with investments in a number of companies. In addition he is a non-executive director of DDCAP Ltd, a leading arranger of Islamic compliant financial transactions, and Exotix LLP, an investment banking boutique specialising in frontier markets. David holds a BSc in Statistics and Law from the University of Jerusalem and an MSc in Computer Science from the University of London.
LAURENCE BARRON
(independent non-executive)
Having begun his career as a commercial lawyer in Paris and then in Tokyo, where he first became involved in aircraft financing transactions, Laurence joined Airbus in 1982 as an in-house lawyer specialising in aircraft finance. He subsequently moved to the business side when, in 1984, he was appointed Sales Finance Director North America, becoming Head of Sales Finance in 1985, and then, in 1987, Vice President of Customer Finance. In 1994, he was asked to set up the Asset Management Organisation within Airbus and that year became Vice President and Head of Asset Management. Airbus Asset Management has full responsibility for all used aircraft transactions at Airbus and acts as an in-house leasing company for the used Airbus aircraft owned or controlled by the Airbus group of companies. In 2001 he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Airbus before assuming the role of President of Airbus China in 2004, with responsibility for Airbus’ overall activities in the People’s Republic of China.
In January 2013, Laurence was appointed Chairman of EADS China, now rebranded Airbus Group China. Laurence retired from salaried Airbus employment at the end of April 2016 and was non-executive Chairman of Airbus China until the end of 2017. He holds an LLB from Bristol University Law Faculty.
Steve Le Page
(independent non-executive)
Steve has served as a non-executive director on a number of boards since his retirement from his role as Senior Partner (equivalent to Executive Chairman) of PwC in the Channel Islands in 2013. Throughout his thirty year career with that firm he worked with many different types of financial organisation as both auditor and advisor, particularly with both listed and unlisted investment companies. He is currently the Audit Committee Chair of four London listed funds.
Mr Le Page is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a Chartered Tax Advisor. He is a past president of the Guernsey Society of Chartered and Certified Accountants and a past Chairman of the Guernsey International Business Association.
Mary Gavigan
(independent non-executive)
Mary is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. She has specialised in the Financial Services sector for over 25 years acting as consultant and advisor with a focus on restructuring and business transformation. She has also held interim Chief Finance Officer roles during her career. Mary spent most of her career at KPMG. She is a Non-Executive Director of STM Life Assurance PCC PLC and its sister company London & Colonial Assurance PCC PLC where she is Chair of the Audit Committee as well as a member of the Risk Management Committee. Mary is also a Non-Executive Director of the National Deposit Friendly Society Ltd where she is Chair of its Audit Committee and of its Remuneration Committee.
Mary’s charity work includes being a Trustee of Epilepsy Research UK. Mary holds a BBS and MA from Trinity College Dublin.
Tom Sharp
(independent non-executive)
Tom is an executive director of Metage Capital Limited, a 6.85 per cent. shareholder in the Company and an experienced non-executive director of both public and private companies. He has worked at Metage since 2002 and his career has included working with firms listed on AIM and the main boards of the Hong Kong and Luxembourg Stock Exchanges. Tom has twenty years of experience in investing in listed closed-end funds, an ability to build consensus with a range of stakeholders and in structuring and negotiating commercial transactions. He holds an M.A. Hons from Cambridge University and is a CFA Charterholder.