OBERON GROUP

Mike Cuthbert

Following a short career in the army Mike spent 37 years as an investment banker advising Asset and Wealth management companies. He started his professional career at HSBC James Capel in 1987 where he built a up a franchise working with and advising a number of Asset and Wealth management companies in addition to running the Investment Company team. In 1999 he joined Charterhouse Group before being a Founder member of Bridgewell, a fast-growing UK orientated investment bank, where he specialised in financial services companies. In 2008 he joined Canaccord Genuity as Head of the Financial sales team. He retired in December 2022 from Zeus Capital where he was Co – Head of the FIG group from 2015. Mike joined Oberon as Non-Exec Chairman in 2023.

Mark Ibbotson

Mark Ibbotson is a portfolio Non Executive Director in financial services, following an executive career over three decades in the futures industry. He joined Oberon Group as a Non Executive Director in 2022.

Mark’s career began at the London Stock Exchange in 1990 as a risk manager in their options division, which soon merged with London’s fast growing LIFFE exchange. Mark spent 23 years at LIFFE – through acquisitions by Euronext, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the InterContinental Exchange (ICE) in 2013. Mark’s last role at LIFFE was Chief Executive Officer and Global Head of Clearing for NYSE. During his time at LIFFE, Mark was responsible for restructuring the London market from an ‘open outcry’, floor-based marketplace to a global electronic market.

In 2013 Mark became Group CEO of G.H. Financials, a wholesale clearing provider with regulated subsidiaries in London, Chicago and Hong Kong. During his 5 years as Group CEO, Mark oversaw a major strategic expansion of the company’s customer base and its global presence. Since 2018, Mark has served as non executive Chairman of G. H. Financials.

In addition to Oberon Group and G. H. Financials, Mark serves as a non executive director of the Washington-based Futures Industry Association (an industry trade body). He is also the independent non executive director of Skytra (an FCA-regulated benchmark provider and data company, wholly owned by Airbus). Mark also served two terms on the FCA’s Market Practitioner Panel until 2018.

Simon Philip McGivern

Simon started his professional career at Panmure Gordon Asset Management in 1996 where he worked in the wealth management division for six years. He focused on investment management and financial analysis. In 2002, Simon left the City. He founded a number of companies, including Handpicked Companies, an ecommerce venture, which he grew substantially and exited via a trade sale to News Corp in 2014. Simon also founded Litebulb Group in 2008, which went from two people and in the first year of trading to 100 staff and £25m in sales when he left in 2015. During his time there, Simon executed six acquisitions, raised over £10m in funding and led its IPO on AIM in 2010. Additionally, Simon was a founder director of Cleeve Capital plc (now Bigblu Broadband) and oversaw its IPO on the Standard List in December 2014 and the reverse takeover of Satellite Solutions Worldwide. He also set up and is a director of Map Ventures in 2015, a corporate advisory firm.

Simon founded Oberon in November 2018. He is regulated by the FCA as SMF1 Chief Executive and SMF3 Executive Director.

MARCIA MANARIN

Marcia Manarin was appointed as Finance Director and Board Member in 2024. Marcia brings over 20 years of leadership experience in finance, having held senior roles in various high-profile financial services firms, including VSA Capital Group, Stifel/GMP FirstEnergy, and Macquarie/Tristone Capital. Marcia is highly regarded for her expertise in financial strategy, regulatory compliance, and business transformation. A Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA CGMA), Marcia has a track record of driving performance improvements and business growth.

Gemma Godfrey

Gemma was previously head of investment strategy at Brooks Macdonald Group plc, having started her career at Goldman Sachs and GAM Holding AG, with a background in quantum physics.

In 2015, Gemma founded Moola Systems Limited, an FCA authorised digital investment service, and was CEO of the company from September 2015 until November 2019, (it was acquired by FTSE 250 insurer Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group in July 2018). She pioneered new technology in financial services (fintech) and went on to launch a digital media business for News UK.

Since 2020, Gemma has been a non-executive director for several private and public companies. These include Saga plc, VivoPower International plc, Kingswood Holdings and Eight Capital Partners. A former boardroom adviser on The (US) Apprentice, Gemma is a business expert on ITV and Sky News.

The Hon Alexander Robert Hambro

Alex Hambro has worked in the venture and private equity sector both in the UK and USA for much of his career, during which time he has acted as a principal investor, manager and sponsor of private equity and venture capital management teams and adviser on private equity investment strategies. Alex is an active personal investor in small, growth-oriented private and public companies. As well as his role at Oberon, Alex is Chairman of AIM-listed Judges Scientific plc; Falanx Group Ltd and OTAQ plc. He is also a Director of Octopus Apollo VCT plc. In addition to his responsibilities at these listed companies, Alex is also Chairman of IWP Holdings Ltd; Crescent Capital Ltd; and a non-executive director of Time Partners Ltd.

Alex is currently a principal at Welbeck Capital Partners, a specialist investment advisory boutique that deploys hybrid debt/equity instruments to finance growth opportunities for both private and small-cap AIM companies.

ADAM HERRINGER

Adam Herringer joined Oberon Investments in November 2021 as COO of Oberon Capital and Head of Change Management,before being appointed Group Chief Operating Officer in October 2024. With over 15 years of experience spanning management consulting, investment banking, and operational leadership, Adam has played a pivotal role in driving Oberon’s growth and strategic initiatives.His previous roles include positions at RBC Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth, and EY. Adam holds an MBA from the University of Cape Town and the NYU Stern School of Business and is FCA-regulated as an SMF3 Executive Director.