Board of Directors
Alex Paiusco Chief Executive Officer
Alex joined Laxey Partners in 2005 as an investment manager. Before joining Laxey he worked in investment banking with NM Rothschild & Sons, advising clients in the telecoms, industrials, healthcare and private equity sectors, and prior to this in the M&A and equity capital markets divisions of West LB Panmure Gordon. Alex is a member of the board of Norman ASA and Mirato SPA. He is currently seconded to DouglasBay from Laxey Partners.
Geoff Bicknell Chief Financial Officer
Geoff joined LIT in February 2009 and brings over 40 years of broad based financial, commercial and operational management expertise from international remits throughout Europe and North America. Geoffrey is currently a non-executive director of Trafficmaster Plc and Brady Plc and has held executive directorships in companies including TI Group Plc, Lucas Industries, Maxima Holdings Plc and Northgate Information Solutions Plc. He is a chartered accountant in the UK and Canada.
Mike Haxby Risk Officer
Mike became an executive director of Laxey Partners in December 2001 and manages the global risk for Laxey’s Funds. Mike started a career in fund management in 1993 and has worked with Quorum Capital Management, Buchanan Partners and Regent Fund Management before joining Bigsave.com in 1999, an Isle of Man based internet company.
Harto Lehtonen Executive Director
Harto is a former logistics director of UPM-Kymmene Corporation, one of the leading forestry companies in the world. Harto started his career in logistics in 1971, working initially with shipping lines and then with paper & packaging manufacturers Oy Wilh Schauman Ab and Kymmene.
David Panter Non-executive Chairman
David has been chairman of The Laxey Investment Trust since 1997. He retired in 1996 as a consultant to tea broker Thompson Lloyd & Ewart (TL&E), having previously been chairman of Geo. White & Company Limited, which was merged into TL&E in 1993. David spent 25 years as a commodities broker in London and as a consultant to the World Bank, Overseas Development Authority, concentrating on privatisations in Sri Lanka and Georgia. Previously he had 16 years service in India where he was chairman of Carritt Moran & Company Limited and a director of a number of tea plantation companies.
David Blackler, OBE Non-executive Director
David has been a member of the board of The Laxey Investment Trust since 1997. For 25 years he was a director of John Keells Holdings Limited, one of the largest industrial holding companies in Sri Lanka with interests in food and beverage, leisure and financial services, retiring as the chairman. David is now a consultant to the company.
Alistair Boyd, CMG Senior Independent Director
Alistair has been a member of the board of The Laxey Investment Trust since 1998. Previously he had a long career with the CDC Group plc (“CDC”), the UK government-owned investment and development fund, serving as deputy chief executive until 1994 and thereafter as an advisor, with a focus throughout on the CDC’s activities in sub-Saharan Africa. Until recently he was chairman of the Southern Africa Business Association and the African Medical and Research Foundation (UK). He is currently vice-chairman of the Royal African Society and its affiliate the Africa Asia centre.
Adrian Collins Non-executive Director
Adrian Collins, aged 55 has worked in the fund management business for over 35 years, a large part of which was at Gartmore Investment Management Limited where latterly he was managing director. He is Deputy Chairman of Liontrust Asset Management and is also on the Boards of City Natural Resources High Yield Trust plc, Deutsche Land plc, Midas Capital PLC, New City High Yield Trust plc, and a number of other companies.