People: Mercia Asset Management; Marston’s; The Confederation of British Metalforming
Mercia Asset Management, the Midlands-based fund manager has appointed Dean Heaney as head of institutional distribution.
Heaney will lead Mercia’s distribution strategy across its venture, debt, private equity and real assets portfolio and play a key role in its plans to grow its assets under management, which currently stand at £1.8bn.
He most recently led the UK institutional business at Franklin Templeton, a $1.5tn asset manager, and prior to that was Head of Government and Strategic Institutions at Invesco.
Over the course of his career, he has developed deep expertise working with a broad range of institutional investors including pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, and family offices.
Mark Payton, chief executive officer of Mercia said: “Dean is an outstanding appointment for Mercia and he will play an important part in our strategy to accelerate the growth of our assets under management. Mercia’s track record, UK-wide footprint and capabilities across a broad range of asset classes make us highly relevant for institutional investors in particular. Dean will bring focus and expertise to our distribution capabilities and I look forward to working with him.”
Heaney said: “I am delighted to have joined Mercia at such a pivotal time for UK private assets. The opportunity to drive growth in a business dedicated to further unlocking the potential of UK companies across venture, debt, private equity and real assets is very exciting. I see significant potential to position Mercia as a trusted partner to institutional investors and I look forward to working with the team to build upon Mercia’s success, to deliver value for our clients and shareholders.”
Marston’s has announced that Hayleigh Lupino, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), has informed the board of her decision to leave the business to pursue a new opportunity outside of the Group.
She will remain with Marston’s as CFO and an Executive Director for the remainder of the financial year until October 2025 to ensure a smooth transition while her successor is appointed.
The process to recruit a new Chief Financial Officer is underway and a further update will be issued in due course.
Justin Platt, Chief Executive Officer of Marston’s said: “I would like to thank Hayleigh for her more than 20 years of service to the Group. Since becoming CFO in 2021, she has played a key role in Marston’s transformation into a pure-play hospitality business, helping lay the foundations for the Group’s continued success. She leaves with our very best wishes for the future.”
The Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM) has expanded its expertise with the appointment of Maurice Spooner as its new sheet metal specialist.
With over 40 years in manufacturing, Spooner will support companies involved in pressings and roll-formed products, helping them navigate challenges like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and rising energy costs.
Spooner, who began his career on the shop floor in 1981, has held senior roles at Triplex Safety Glass, ITW Profit, Metal Pressings Group and QFS.
His experience includes overseeing the relocation of Lear Corporation’s manufacturing facility to the Black Country with zero quality defects and managing the introduction of the new Discovery model at Sertec Group.
Steve Morley, President of the CBM said: “Maurice is a hugely experienced manufacturing specialist, who understands what it is like at the coalface. He will be a massive asset to our members and has the ability and contacts to bring more OEMs and tier 1s into the conversation, so we can ensure that the downstream supply chain is better connected and represented.”
