News
Noble Fund Managers appoints Paul Toon as Head of Unquoted Investments
28/11/2007
Noble Fund Managers today announced the appointment of Paul Toon to the position of Head of Unquoted Investments. Paul has over 15 years experience advising, managing and investing in technology companies, and joins Noble from a leading international venture capital fund, Innoven Partenaires, where he was Managing Partner.
In his new role Paul will oversee investments in private companies across Noble’s various venture capital and private equity vehicles, which include Noble VCT, Noble Income and Growth VCT, the Bloomsbury Bioseed Fund, and Sitka Health Fund VCT.
Paul led a buyout of Innoven Partenaires (“Innoven”) in 2004, inheriting a portfolio of technology companies across Europe and North America, with €115m funds under management, including funds managed for La Poste. Within a three year period, Paul oversaw several highly successful exits and IPOs of portfolio companies on five European exchanges, growing funds under management to €208m. Between 2004 and 2006, the performance of the seven Innoven funds improved substantially under his tenure, with three of the funds occupying the top three positions in an annual ranking of all 124 “FCPI” venture capital funds in France (FCPIs are the direct equivalent of Venture Capital Trusts in the UK). Prior to Innoven, Paul invested in, and became COO and Commercial Director of a UK biotech company, and has 9 years of M&A advisory experience, having begun his career at Merrill Lynch in London.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Toon said: “I am delighted to be joining a talented and ambitious team at Noble Fund Managers at what is an excellent time to be investing in growth companies in the UK and across Europe. Noble is building a reputation as a very active investor with a strong network and I look forward to contributing to its future success.”
Henry Chaplin, Chief Executive Officer of Noble Fund Managers, commented: ‘’Paul has a highly impressive investment track record, with a lot of financial and operational experience, and I look forward to working with him as we consolidate Noble’s position as market leaders in small-cap fund management.”
For more information contact:
Ben Thompson, Group Head of Marketing, Noble Group
+44 20 7763 2200
Toby Mitchenall, Citigate Dewe Rogerson
+44 20 7282 1092
About Noble
Noble is an independent UK investment bank. It has four operating companies providing a range of services including investment management of specialist asset classes, corporate finance and broking services and corporate administration. All four companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.