Governance
Board of Directors
Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the cdfa’s Board of Directors for 2011:
Mike Baker
Chief Executive, The Social Enterprise Loan Fund
Mike joined TSELF in 2004, and was previously employed by NatWest at executive level. Originally called the Local Investment Fund, TSELF was set up as a registered charity in 1994 to provide loan finance for charities and organisations with a charitable purpose, with the aim of overcoming the funding gap often experienced by social enterprises. Loans have been made to around 200 community enterprises with the total amount lent being approximately £9m. These community enterprises are based in the five English Regions where TSELF has been able to provide dedicated staff to develop the business. Funding has come from a number of sources, including the government, the RDA’s and several banks. TSELF was a founder member of the cdfa and the Adventure Capital Fund. Mike has a lifelong commitment to charities and social enterprises; he was a board member of King’s Cross SRB for seven years and is now on the boards of the cdfa and Adventure Capital Fund.
Sean Dennis
Co-Founder and Managing Director, Capitalise Business Support (CBS)
Sean entered the world of Enterprise Agencies and CDFIs 7 years ago via a career in Commercial Banking with NatWest. His career in banking mostly focused on the commercial side of things with vast experience gained from a variety of roles, from front line relationship management to underwriting, debt management and credit risk analysis.
Now in its sixth year of trading, CBS has gone from strength to strength into a sub-regional CDFI covering the whole of Kent, Surrey and Sussex providing enterprise loans to micro and small businesses plus social enterprises for up to £20,000. Having dispersed £1.25m in loans since starting, CBS is awaiting Enterprise Finance Guarantee accreditation which will allow them to take forward strategic development plans for expansion becoming a regional CDFI providing funding for up to £50,000.
Sean is motivated and passionate about the sector and believes his mix of knowledge and skills gained from nearly 25 years of mainstream finance, Enterprise Agency and CDFI worlds will be a value to the cdfa board.
Jonathan Diggines (cdfa Chair)
Chief Executive, EV Group
Jonathan Diggines joins from Enterprise Venture Group, where he was CEO and brings to cdfa a wealth of business and finance experience developed over the past twenty years in public and private sector co-investment and the management of venture capital funds, latterly at Enterprise Ventures where he took funds under management from £20m to £130m by successfully investing in regional SME’s, for the most part in the North of England. He spent 11 years as a Managing Director at Murray Johnstone Private Equity where he managed around £360 million in a private equity and venture funds.
A solicitor, Jonathan is a highly experienced company director who has taken a number of significant public and private company board positions. He sits on the British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Member Services Committee and is a former Member of the Council of the BVCA, where he chaired its Legal & Technical Committee for several years. He is also a BVCA lecturer on its Foundation Course.
Melanie Elliot
Chief Executive, MCF Loans
Melanie Andrew is Chief Executive of MCF Loans a strong CDFI offering personal and business lending across the Midlands. Derbyloans started out five years ago; under Melanie’s leadership the business has successfully expanded across borders into Derbyshire, South Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, opened local branches, making affordable finance more accessible to the community. She established a new brand “MCF Loans” Midlands Community Finance. Previously Melanie worked for HBOS and Abbey National (18 years). From branch management to Operational Training; instrumental in setting up/managing call centres with 200 staff in Retail Banking. As a Management consultant she established UK wide leadership programmes. Key skills:- exceeding K.P.I’s, coaching / mentoring, sales / lending, strategic development, change management, managing stakeholder relationships, funding contracts and business budgets. Passionate about the community and re-generation, she has a desire to develop people to reach full potential thus developing the CDFI sector for the long term.
Jonathan Girling
Operations Director, East London Small Business Centre
Jonathan joined East London Small Business Centre in January 2005, having been on the Centre’s Board for 7 years. Prior to this he enjoyed a successful career in Nat West Bank, covering a broad range of responsibilities around the UK, achieving Senior Management status. During this time he became involved in the local business community, including Chairing various Chambers of Commerce, a local Business Link and Enterprise Agency.
Responsible for the operational management of ELSBC, Jonathan is also a non executive director on two equity investments made via the Centre into local businesses.
Neil Hewitt
Social & Cultural Team Manager, Triodos Bank
Neil Hewitt is responsible for managing a team of Relationship Managers which collectively provides a total of £380 million of funding into Social Housing, Charities, Social Enterprises, Health Care, Faith Groups and Arts & Culture sectors. In addition to supporting the 460 borrowing customers, the team manages over 600 deposit relationships, with funds entrusted exceeding £30 million. This diversity enables Neil to understand the challenges that each of these very different sectors are facing, both on a strategic and operational level. His role gives an early insight into the impact of Government policies that impact on the Sector, and his active involvement in events and conferences is aimed at helping businesses prepare their future funding proposals, based in their changing financial needs. Neil is committed to making a difference and, based on the Triodos banking model, is convinced that, with more conscious use of money, we can deliver a more sustainable future.
Roger Millar
General Manager, Goole Development Trust
Currently General Manager of Goole Development Trust, a social enterprise company limited by guarantee owned and controlled by the community. The Trust is a Charter Member of the cdfa. It is also an accredited Investors in People Company and an accredited Customer First company. The Trust has had a loan fund since 2001. It provides loans of up to £15,000 to new and recent start businesses and social enterprises. The Trust has lent well over £1m to more than 175 businesses.
In addition to the loan fund, the Trust has managed workspace (26 units for new and recent start businesses), a local lottery that started in 2008 and is now generating £25,000 p.a. for local causes (one of which is a loan fund for new businesses), a property company and a cafe/bar.
He has a BA degree (1974), a post-graduate diploma in town planning and a post-graduate diploma in management studies.
Nicholas Nicolaou
Managing Director – GLE oneLondon
Nicholas Nicolaou has over 15 years’ experience lending to SMEs and is a Prince2 Practitioner. Since Nicks’ arrival, GLE has won contracts for 4 local authority, 2 pan-London, 1 UK-wide charity and 1 national DWP fund – total capital value almost £18m. In addition, he leads its Enterprise Agency, which is integrated with its CDFI activity like some other cdfa members. Nick demonstrates an interest in and understanding of the CDFI sector, its strengths and opportunities for the future through regular meetings with peers both within and outside of the CDFI Business Lending Networking group. Nick highly values working in partnership with members and does so regularly. Nick believes, if elected, he would provide a dynamic approach and perceptive voice to the cdfa board to assist all types of CDFIs at a critical time.
Hugh Rolo
Director of Innovation, Locality
Hugh Rolo works for Locality as Director of Innovation. Locality has 600 plus members across the UK. Current members have a combined turnover of £430mn and own assets valued at £750mn. They cultivate enterprise and build assets – creating wealth in communities and keeping it there.
He is a founder partner and Director of the Key Fund Yorkshire- both of which are investing “patient capital” in community enterprises. On behalf of the DTA, he is a founder partner of the Adventure Capital Fund and an advisor to Communitybuilders Investment Panel.
Hugh is leading for Locality on an action learning research programme into Community Shares and Bonds backed by Communities and Local Government and the Office of Civil Society.
Hugh is also a director of ACCENT Regeneration, a leading housing association.
Hugh remains active in his own community of Manningham in Bradford as a Director of ABL, and Manningham Mills Community Association, development trusts, and as a secondary School Governor, where he chairs the finance committee.
Richard Tyas
Loan Fund Manager, First Enterprise Business Agency / Enterprise Loans East Midlands
Richard has day to day involvement with business and the provision of finance to the small/micro business market and feels he is able to bring his general financial skills and experience to the practical daily issues which face new and growing businesses who need access to finance to move their ideas forward. Richard spent 31 years working for National Westminster Bank as a career banker. He was a traditional Bank Manager with “a branch of his own” and the responsibility for 15 staff and a lending book of £25m. He took early retirement in 2000 during a period of restructure as a result of the takeover by Royal Bank of Scotland. The experience Richard has in finance in general, his 11 years within the CDFI movement and his regular support of the wider cdfa activities gives him some of the experience necessary to be a board member. Although there are many bankers involved with the cdfa, and on the board, he feels his long association with the sector stands him in good stead to make a valuable contribution to the cdfa board for the benefit of the cdfa membership.
Bob Wallis
Director of Operations, Fredericks Foundation
Bob Wallis has worked for Fredericks Foundation since 2005, starting up specialist projects in mental health and physical disability in London. As Director of Operations Bob has overseen the assimilation of lending organisations in the South West and relationships with partner organisations; working with BIS on Mentoring and Business Support programmes; as well as with SEEDA as a Director of Inclusive Finance cic. He chairs the Somerset Board, has developed relationships with the local authorities and is responsible for most of the contractual negotiation with funders. Bob also assesses plans and manages clients in Kent, East Sussex and London, where he works with London Youth Support Trust and Leonard Cheshire.
Bob set up internet information and ticketing business Dynamic Listing Ltd which obtained contracts with Reuters and the National Theatre after having managed a regional touring theatre for 10 years. He is a Trustee of Hextable Dance in Kent.
Stephen Waud
Executive Director, Bradford Enterprise Agency Ltd
Steve is an Engineer and a qualified Barrister and has been involved in the running of SME’s at board level for many years now. His strong financial, legal and technical skills put him in an ideal position to understand the needs of business and support them. He has worked within a number of market sectors, these include, plastics, automotive, brand marketing to name a few.
He has established grown and developed BEF since 2004 and has seen its asset base grow 10 fold in that time, lending millions to SMEs in that time.
Steve is regularly consulted by different agencies on the CDFI sector and has contributed to a number of programs to see the growth and development of the sector, especially in the Yorkshire and Humber region. He is a strong advocate of CDFIs and is keen to see the sector achieve significant scale and reach.
