Munro Global Board

Richard Hepburn (44), Chief Executive Officer, has a broad career in general and commercial management with blue chip domestic and international distribution organisations including IKEA, Early Learning Centre and John Menzies. More recently, Richard was a Development Director within a private equity backed specialist publishing business, OAG Worldwide Limited.

Richard’s main experience has been in B2B and B2C business and strategy development, operational management, process reengineering, marketing/PR and pre/post acquisition planning and execution. Additionally, Richard has worked closely with IT solutions throughout his career, and, since the late 1990’s, has led a number of commercial web-based B2B initiatives.

Richard holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Engineering and an MBA.

Charlotte Cornish (42), Managing Director, is a highly experienced quantitative and qualitative researcher with a proven track record in building a business delivering high-end market research driven consultancy. Following a classical market research training with leading agencies BMRB and Ipsos, Charlotte joined the Henley Centre (part of WPP), managing their flagship service “Planning for Social Change”.

After gaining client-side experience with BT in the mid-90’s, Charlotte joined a new forecasting consultancy, the Future Foundation, as Research Director leading teams undertaking all quantitative and qualitative research. In addition, the role included the development of strategic forecasting consultancy services. Charlotte became Managing Director, Future Foundation Projects in 2004.

Since leaving the Future Foundation on its acquisition by Experian in Summer 2005, Charlotte has been advising, on a freelance consultancy basis, the Pension Service (DWP) on the development of its strategy, liaising with stakeholders including the Secretary of State, Minister of State for Pensions and the DWP Permanent Secretary.

Charlotte holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Biochemistry. She is a frequent public speaker and media commentator.

Kathryn Courtenay-Evans (34) Managing Director, Maven Research. Following 12 successful years with the company, Kathryn took the role of MD in 2006 and has managed the business into a £3 million turnover company, including its incorporation into Munro Global in April 2007.

Under her leadership the company has delivered research solutions to a wide portfolio of blue chip organisations many of which have been customers for many years. These range from automotive organisations like Mercedes Benz to construction organisations such as Balfour Beatty Capital.

In addition to directing a number of key accounts, Kathryn manages the company strategy and direction with the support of her senior team.

Kathryn has a BA (Hons) degree in Geography from the University of London. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and an associate member of the Market Research Society.

Fiona Stewart (45), Non-Executive Director

Fiona has had a wide-ranging career in strategic research and marketing consultancy and is a former Chief Executive of specialist research company Opinion Leader Research, part of Chime Communications plc. While at Chime, Fiona also co-founded a marketing evaluation practice.

After spending her early career at The Henley Centre where she headed up the Centre’s consultancy services for retail and hospitality businesses and became Deputy Chairman, Fiona then worked as a brand consultant for a division of Grey Communications.

Fiona sits on the Board of The Marketing Society and is responsible for the development of its Business Leaders’ Programme. She also acts as research advisor to a number of service companies and is an active member of The Chambers, a network of independent retail consultants. Fiona has worked with a wide portfolio of clients including 3i, Accenture, Association of British Insurers, Barclays, Blacks Leisure, BBC, BP, Ernst & Young, P&G, Severn Trent, Thames Water, The Co-operative Group, Tesco and Whitbread.

Fiona’s recent published research work includes ‘Delivering the Promise of the Corporate Brand’, which formed the basis for a keynote address at the 2004 Communication Directors’ Forum and ‘What do CEOs want from marketing?’ in Market Leader.

Mark Speeks (43), Non-Executive Investor Representative

Mark joined the Acuity Capital team (formerly the smaller companies team at Electra Partners) in early 2004 after several years in the United States as Director of Acquisitions for a Fortune 500 company. Previously, he worked in corporate finance/M&A in London, Paris and New York with Panmure Gordon, Credit Commercial de France (CCF) and Charterhouse Bank.

He holds a BA Hons degree from Exeter University and Master's degrees from both Oxford University and Yale University.

http://www.acuitycapital.co.uk/