The Team

Meet our specialists

Building long-term relationships is at the heart of our business and so we believe that EQ is just as important as IQ. We prioritise character and personality and prefer to “grow our own”. This has created a culture that encourages fierce debate and honest feedback and constantly challenges even the most experienced team members to reflect and improve.

We run a twelve month placement scheme for university students. If you are interested in learning more please use the “get in touch” section on the contact us page.

Tim is VenCap’s CEO and is a member of the VenCap investment committee. He has been investing in venture capital funds since 1994. Prior to joining VenCap, Tim was an Economist and Statistician at the Association of British Insurers. He is an Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals. Tim is a Non-Executive Director of Polar Capital Technology Trust and Merian Chrysalis Investment Company Limited. Tim should have retired from all sports many years ago.
Tim Cruttenden
Chief Executive Officer

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David leads the Fund Investment Department and is responsible for developing VenCap’s Core Manager investment strategy. He has an extensive background in both venture fund and public company investment and is a regular guest on leading industry podcasts and panels. He is an Associate of the CFA Society of the UK. Outside of VenCap, David is a UEFA A Licence football coach, having previously coached at Oxford United FC and worked as a coach mentor for the English FA. He also cycles, plays golf and can talk for hours on the merits of Bitcoin.
David Clark
Chief Investment Officer

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Matt is a Director in the investment team and leads VenCap’s secondary strategy. He was previously a Director at Northleaf Capital Partners where he was responsible for leading the diligence and execution of GP & LP-led secondary transactions as well as direct co-investments. Prior to that, he was a member of the secondaries team at Partners Group. Matt started his career at Cavendish Corporate Finance. Outside of work, Matt enjoys running, reading, and playing guitar.
Matt Russell
Director, Secondaries

Sion is a Senior Investment Manager in the Fund Investment Department. He is a CFA Charterholder and holds the Investment Management Certificate. Sion received his BSc (Hons) in Mathematics from The University of Bath. He is a fluent Welsh speaker and in his spare time plays linebacker for the Oxford Saints.
Sion Evans
Senior Investment Manager

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Jingyu is a Senior Investment Manager in the Fund Investment Department. Prior to joining VenCap, she had extensive experience with venture capital and private equity fund investments and co-investments in Asia Pacific markets . Jingyu received her BA (Hons) in Economics from Wellesley College and MBA from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania in the US. Jingyu is a native Chinese and fluent in English and Mandarin. She lives an active lifestyle and enjoys hiking and trekking trips.
Jingyu Zhuang
Senior Investment Manager

Alfie is an Investment Manager in the Fund Investment Department. He is a CFA Charterholder and holds the Investment Management Certificate. Alfie received his BA (Hons) in Politics and Spanish from Cardiff University. He is from Evesham, Worcestershire and is lead singer of alternative rock band, Decovo.
Alfie Lavery
Investment Manager

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Jonty is a Senior Associate in the Fund Investment Department. He holds the Investment Management Certificate and passed his CFA Level 2 in November 2023. Prior to joining VenCap, Jonty was an Analyst in Lloyds Banking Group’s Investor Relations division. He received his BSc (Hons) in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Bath. In his spare time, Jonty is a keen touch rugby player and proud dog-dad of a young golden retriever, Nova.
Jonty Russell
Senior Associate

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Bonnie worked in PE and Investment Banking after graduating from LBS MBA. She is also a qualified lawyer in Australia. At VenCap Bonnie looks into both primary and secondary/direct investing.
Bonnie Yiu
Associate

Talia is a Senior Analyst in the Fund Investment Department. She received her BSc (Hons) from the University of Bristol and her MSc in Psychology from University College London (UCL). Prior to joining VenCap, she was a research assistant at the University of Oxford. In her spare time, she enjoys playing netball, where she competes in the TeamUCL and London Universities Sports League. She also enjoys rowing and used to compete competitively having won many medals nationally and internationally.
Talia Antioco
Senior Analyst

Ella is carrying out a placement year as an Junior Analyst in the Fund Investment Department. She is currently working towards a BSc (Hons) in International Development with Economics at the University of Bath. In her spare time, Ella enjoys cooking, going to the gym and spending time with friends and family.
Ella Braun
Junior Analyst

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Simon is the Chief Financial Officer of VenCap. Prior to VenCap, Simon was Financial Controller at Owen & Robinson plc. Simon is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, holds the Investment Management Certificate and received his BSc (Hons) in Accounting & Financial Analysis from the University of Warwick. Simon enjoys road cycling and spending time in France.
Simon Lasseter
Chief Financial Officer

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Kay is Director, Finance and Compliance whose current responsibilities include the financial reporting and tax compliance for VenCap and oversight of financial reporting and tax compliance for the VenCap Funds. Kay is a member of the Chartered Accountants in England and Wales having trained as an auditor prior to joining VenCap. Kay enjoys going to music concerts, and spending time with family and friends.
Kay Lefort
Director, Finance and Compliance

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Claire is VenCap’s Company Compliance Manager and has responsibility for overseeing, developing and maintaining policies and systems in-line with regulatory requirements. Prior to VenCap, Claire was a member of the Compliance team at OxFORD Asset Management LLP, and a Senior Compliance Analyst at LCH Clearnet Ltd. Claire enjoys most water sports, especially windsurfing and sailing.
Claire Poots
Company Compliance Manager

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Vicky is a Financial Accountant at VenCap and is involved in the financial reporting and tax compliance functions for VenCap and the VenCap funds. Vicky qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountant with a leading Oxford based firm and is an experienced auditor in both public and private sectors. Outside of work Vicky is a treasurer for a local charity, enjoys socialising with friends and family as well as running and road cycling, and is very creative.
Vicky Newing
Financial Accountant

Kye is a Financial Accountant at VenCap and is involved in the financial reporting and tax compliance functions for VenCap and the VenCap funds. He graduated from Newcastle University, obtaining a BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance, prior to completing his MA in International Financial Analysis and later qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with PwC. Kye is a keen sports enthusiast who loves to keep active and enjoys travel and classic novels.
Kye England
Financial Accountant

Nick is VenCap’s Company Accountant, responsible for the Sales and Purchase Ledgers. Outside of work he is a keen tennis player and used to be a top 100 world ranked croquet player before children came along.
Nick Butler
Company Accountant

Mark is responsible for VenCap’s IT systems and strategy. Prior to joining VenCap Mark held roles at Jarvis Hotels and Psion software. Mark holds the Investment Management Certificate and is a graduate of Bristol University. Outside of work he loves to take things apart and play with new technology when he is not playing 5-a-side football.
Mark Watkins
Data Manager

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Marina is a Junior Data Analyst. She is currently helping create and migrate data and reports to a new VenCap database. Marina received her BSc (Hons) in Economics from the University of Bath. Prior to joining VenCap, she was a data team assistant at Oxford Economics. In her spare time, she enjoys trampolining, running, and playing the trumpet.
Marina Nicholls
Data Analyst

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Lisa is an Executive Assistant providing support to the Investment and Finance teams. Prior to VenCap, Lisa was a Purchasing Controller and Administrative Assistant. Lisa enjoys listening to music of many genres and going to live music gigs with friends – especially gigs supporting local bands. Lisa often cooks for and hosts large family gatherings and is an avid audio book “reader” in her free time.
Lisa Mason
Executive Assistant

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Tess is an Executive Assistant providing support to the Investment and Finance teams. Prior to VenCap, Tess was a PA at Ingenta plc and has held roles at Ciber Solution Partners and ON Communication. Outside of work Tess enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors; cycling, kayaking, swimming and given the time equestrian pursuits. She is on the treasury team of Wantage Scout Group.
Tess Blake
Executive Assistant

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Heinrich joined VenCap International plc in 2020 and is responsible for fundraising, client services and communication. Prior to joining VenCap, Heinrich led the sales and marketing efforts of Investcorp Europe, a global alternative investment manager. Heinrich was formerly the CEO of TCW Europe, where he built the European franchise. Earlier in his career, Heinrich spent 15 years in Cash Equities with Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas and JP Morgan. Heinrich is a CFA Charterholder. He received his Master in Economics from the University of Passau in Germany. Heinrich’s only regret in life is that he is not a world
class opera tenor.
Heinrich Riehl
Director of Fundraising and Client Services

Alex joined VenCap’s Fundraising & Client Services team in 2023, where he is in charge of client services and onboarding. He joined the Finance team of VenCap in 2014 leading fund reporting and client services. Alex holds the Association of Accounting Technicians Level 4 Diploma in Accounting and is a candidate of the Investment Management Certificate program. Alex enjoys being a father to a young family and aspires to learn the piano.
Alex Burnett
Senior Fundraising & Client Services Manager

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Jack joined VenCap as a Fundraising Manager in October 2023. He was previously a Senior Associate in the Investor Relations team of Antarctica Asset Management and worked for Lombard Odier. He started his career at Credit Suisse Private Banking where he was an investment consultant. Jack obtained his MBA from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and his Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Hong Kong. Despite being born in Hong Kong, a coastal city where it very rarely snows, Jack is an avid skier. He also enjoys reading international history and science fiction.
Jack Lee
Fundraising Manager

Peter joined VenCap’s Fundraising & Client Services team as an analyst in July 2022. He previously completed a Masters in Mechanical & Electrical Engineering at the University of Bristol where he was elected president of the Mechanical and Electrical Society. Additionally, he also holds the Investment Management Certificate. In his spare time, Peter enjoys traveling, cooking, and sports.
Peter Fitzgibbons
Fundraising and Client Services Analyst

Mark joined the VenCap International plc board in 2019, becoming Chairman in 2021. He is currently a member of the Investment Committee. He is also a non-executive director of BPL Global, the world’s leading credit and political risk insurer, a non-executive director of international financial services search specialist Sheffield Howarth and a non-executive director of NLB Bank, a leading regional Bank in the Balkans. Mark brings considerable global experience in banking, investment private equity and Venture Capital investing. He was previously Chairman of Exotix Holdings Limited, a frontier markets brokerage and investment bank, non-executive director of Singapore Life, and CIB Bank in the Middle East. Mark’s executive roles include Chief Executive of IPGL (Holdings) Limited, a major United Kingdom family office, and Partner and Global Head of Financial Services at Actis Private Equity, where he helped grow the firm from $2 to $9bn Funds under management, in his 12 years there. He spent 18 years at Barclays (1987-2005) including serving as Chief Financial Officer of the International Offshore Bank, Director, Group Strategy and Head of Group Corporate Development. He graduated from Oxford University, with a first-class degree in Modern History and Economics in 1987. Mark became Chairman of the VenCap International plc board on 26 May 2021.
Mark Richards
Chairman

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Tim is VenCap’s CEO and is a member of the VenCap investment committee. He has been investing in venture capital funds since 1994. Prior to joining VenCap, Tim was an Economist and Statistician at the Association of British Insurers. He is an Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals. Tim is currently a Non-Executive Director of Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT). Tim should have retired from all sports many years ago.
Tim Cruttenden
Chief Executive Officer

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Simon is the Chief Financial Officer of VenCap. Prior to VenCap, Simon was Financial Controller at Owen & Robinson plc. Simon is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, holds the Investment Management Certificate and received his BSc (Hons) in Accounting & Financial Analysis from the University of Warwick. Simon enjoys road cycling and spending time in France.
Simon Lasseter
Chief Financial Officer

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David leads the Fund Investment Department and is responsible for developing VenCap’s Core Manager investment strategy. He has an extensive background in both venture fund and public company investment and is a regular guest on leading industry podcasts and panels. He is an Associate of the CFA Society of the UK. Outside of VenCap, David is a UEFA A Licence football coach, having previously coached at Oxford United FC and worked as a coach mentor for the English FA. He also cycles, plays golf and can talk for hours on the merits of Bitcoin.
David Clark
Chief Investment Officer

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David joined the Board of VenCap International plc in 2020. He is a university and business leader with many years’ experience of innovation strategy, technology management and entrepreneurship, advising technology companies and mentoring start-ups. He is Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School.  He was appointed CBE in the 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to engineering. Until December 2023, David was Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Development and External Affairs at Oxford University. He is Chairman of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions and was previously Chairman of the UK Atomic Energy Authority.  He is a Director and Trustee of the London Symphony Orchestra and of the Villars Institute in Switzerland.  David is a Chartered Civil Engineer with a PhD in Industrial Economics and has published 8 books on technological innovation and its commercialisation. He has held government posts on boards with the UK’s Ministry of Defence and Department of Health & Social Care. David is involved in the arts with Glyndebourne Festival Opera. When in the Swiss Alps, he cycles, walks and skis.
Professor David Gann
Director

Kay joined the Board of VenCap International plc in 2022, becoming Director, Finance and Compliance whose current responsibilities include the financial reporting and tax compliance for VenCap and oversight of financial reporting and tax compliance for the VenCap Funds. Kay is a member of the Chartered Accountants in England and Wales having trained as an auditor prior to joining VenCap. Kay enjoys going to music concerts, and spending time with family and friends.
Kay Lefort
Director, Finance and Compliance

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VenCap (Channel Islands) Limited Privacy Notice
The management of VenCap Funds was established in Jersey, Channel Islands in 1989. VenCap (Channel Islands) Limited acts as Manager to all the VenCap Funds.

Michael leads VenCap (Channel Islands) Limited which he founded in 1996, having previously been a director of VenCap investment management companies since 1989. Michael was formerly Chief Executive Officer of VenCap International plc which he founded in 1987. He was previously responsible for establishing British Petroleum’s corporate venture capital investment portfolio and, subsequently, BP became VenCap’s first client.
Prior to his tenure at BP, Michael was responsible for M&A and private equity investment activities at ICL. He has been active in private equity, originally as an entrepreneur, for over forty years. Michael qualified in Electrical Engineering and Computing and received his MBA from Cranfield School of Management.
Michael Ashall
Founder

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Niamh joined the board of VenCap (Channel Islands) Limited in 2015. Niamh is a lawyer and a partner of Ogier, the Jersey law firm, and heads its Jersey investment fund team. Niamh’s practice focusses on venture capital and private equity fund structuring and regulatory advice. She is a member of the Jersey Funds Association Committee and chairs its legal & technical sub- committee. Niamh holds a Masters in Law from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and is a member of the Law Societies of Jersey, England & Wales and Ireland.
Niamh Lalor
Director

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Richard has been a director of VenCap (Channel Islands) Limited since its inception in 1996 and a director of the predecessor VenCap investment management companies since 1989. Richard is also a director of Olmeda Trustees Limited, the Trustee of The Eclipse Trust. Richard was a Consultant to and former Partner of the legal practice, Ogier and is a Consultant to Intertrust Group in Jersey. He specialises in investment funds and is a director of a number of fund companies and investment management companies. Richard was previously Chairman of the Jersey Funds Association. Prior to joining Ogier, Richard practised with Slaughter & May in London where he was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1976.
Richard Thomas
Director

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David joined the board of VenCap (Channel Islands) Limited in 2020. David is currently Director of Investor Services at Ogier in Jersey. Previous roles held include Client Director at Intertrust Group in Jersey, and at VenCap’s previous fund administrator, where he led VenCap’s dedicated, outsourced administration and accounting teams between 2016 and 2019. Prior to this, David oversaw a large administration team focusing on private equity funds with a principal focus on infrastructure. David was responsible for the launch and final closing of a US$7 billion fund which included the establishment and administration of a number of regulated funds, co-investment vehicles and in excess of 120 SPVs. David is ICSA qualified and has almost 20 years’ industry experience specialising in private equity, corporate services, employee solutions and corporate refinancing.
David Harvey
Director

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The role of the VenCap Funds’ Advisory Board is to provide a single, coordinated forum of communication and advice to the VenCap Funds, the Manager and the Investment Advisor.

Ranjan Chak has been a Venture Partner with Oak Investment Partners since 2003, advising a number of Oak’s global portfolio companies. He is currently on the advisory board of Oakridge International School, Hyderabad and a board member of Plan India, an NGO working for under-privileged children. He had also been appointed as a Visiting Fellow of the Cambridge Judge Business School and as a member of the Board of International Advisors of Tufts University. Ranjan’s early experience includes managing R&D in Artificial Intelligence and driving business development for an AI technology company in the US, Europe and Japan. He returned to India in 1987 to help start Hewlett Packard India, later set up and grew Oracle Corporation’s India Development Centre, and eventually also headed Oracle’s Asia Pacific Product Services organisation.
Ranjan Chak

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Keiji Mogi retired in 2006 from Sony Life Insurance Co., Ltd. as a senior executive vice president, responsible for international business and corporate communications. At Sony Life he established its private equity fund investment program in 1999 and developed it into a highly profitable operation. Prior to joining Sony Life, Keiji had a long career at Mitsui Bank (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation). He is currently Chairman and independent director of the Board of UTEC (The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners Co., Limited).
Keiji Mogi

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Following a career as a merchant banker in London and Hong Kong, Roger Mountford has served on a number of boards focused on investment, private equity and the transport sector. He was chairman of HgCapital Trust PLC, a leading private equity investor in technology. He has chaired a series of large pension schemes including the Civil Aviation Authority Pension Scheme, one of VenCap’s longest standing investors, and currently the Lafarge UK Pension Trustee. He is a non-executive board member of HS2 Limited, the company established by the government to build the UK’s new high-speed rail network. He is a graduate of Stanford Business School and the London School of Economics, where he served as a Council member and chaired the Finance Committee.
Roger Mountford

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Ulrich Niederer was Managing Director and Chairman of UBS Global Asset Management Switzerland, Zurich until March 2009 and is now an independent advisor. Ulrich is also Chairman & Senior Partner of ARTICO Partners, an Asset Management Boutique in Zurich and Chairman of EBG Investment Solutions, an advisor for sustainable investments in Zurich.
Ulrich Niederer

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Tony Tuohey is a self-employed financial consultant. He  is a former  Director of Utilities of Australia and a Trustee of Utilities Trust of Australia, an infrastructure fund supported by a number of major Australian superannuation funds.  Tony served as a Director / Trustee of Vision Super from 1996 to 2013 including for most of that period fulfilling the role as Chair of the Investment committee.
Tony Tuohey

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COVID19

VenCap International plc remains open for business and is responding to the COVID-19 virus with the health and wellbeing of it's staff as a priority. As an organisation we are working remotely where possible in accordance with guidance provided by the UK Government. We can be contacted on our usual telephone numbers and by email.