The Team
The Proactiveinvestors Team:
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Ian Mclelland - CEO, Founder & Contributor
Ian Mclelland founded Proactiveinvestors in 2006 as a way to channel his own views on companies listed in London and Toronto. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a full time job as the website's readership exploded over the next six months. One2One forums were added later in 2006, and within two years the company had expanded its operations into Canada and Australia. In 2009 the company expanded again, into Germany and Hong Kong, and finally in 2010 the company opened an office in New York.Proactiveinvestors is now one of the fastest growing global financial media organisations in the world receiving more than one million visitors per month, with monthly investor forums now held in over 15 cities globally.
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Ian Lyall - Editor & Contributor
Ian moved to Proactive from the Daily Mail, where he was City News Editor and Investment Editor and brings with him a wealth of experience in business and finance. At the Mail Ian directed the coverage of some of the biggest stories ever to emerge from the City as the credit crunch and banking crisis felled some of the nation's biggest financial institutions. In his 15 years as a business reporter and editor Ian has worked for Dow Jones, writing stories for the international news wire and the Wall Street Journal. He also led the London company coverage for AFX News, now part of Reuters. Ian's career began on local newspapers in Kent, before moving to a national news agency. His specialist areas are pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and growth stocks.
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Philip Whiterow - News Editor
Philip has more than twenty years experience writing about companies, general finance and investing matters for a variety of publications. His career has involved spells at the Investors Chronicle, where he was small companies and companies editor, Investors Week and most recently as editor of online financial newswire Sharecast. He has also contributed to a wide range of financial-focused publications on a freelance basis.
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Craig Ribton - Managing Director Proactiveinvestors UK
Graduated with a BA Honours in 2002 before moving on to become a project manager where he co-ordinated a variety of large scale projects while furthering his knowledge of the stock market. In 2003 Craig became a full time investor / trader and began blogging his research and opinions. In 2005 Craig qualified in advanced web design. Craig has vast experience in the implementation of finance and social media and a passion for journalism. Craig is tasked with sourcing exciting stories and opportunities for investors to get the teeth into as well as client communications, web development and growing the Proactiveinvestors’s brand, awareness and reach.
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Sam Kiri - Managing Director, Proactiveinvestors Canada & Contributor
Sam is in charge of Proactiveinvestors' North American operation and is also one of the analysts of the group. He has over 10 years of capital markets and asset management experience in both North America and the Pacific Rim, with primary focus on Resources and Oil & Gas sectors. He spent three years with Scotia Bank as an International Equity analyst, and was responsible for the management of the Scotia Pacific Rim Mutual Fund. Sam is a CFA Charter Holder, a qualified Management Accountant (ACMA) and has a MBA in Finance. He also has considerable academic experience spanning over 10 years teaching Financial Analysis in England.
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Andrew McCrea - Managing Director, Proactiveinvestors Australia & Contributor
Andrew McCrea is an emerging companies specialist and small company analyst with a focus on emerging resources producer's listed on the ASX. Andrew has worked for Citigroup in New York & London and in Hong Kong and Malaysia as a top rated securities analyst. He has been a share market columnist and contributing writer for national newspapers and magazines in Australia and Asia – most recently for Virgin Blue magazine. Andrew has also been extensively involved in corporate finance, progressing early stage companies to IPO in Australia and North America. He is a director of U3 Capital a stock broking/dealer specialising in small cap stocks on the ASX.
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Ed Borrelli - Managing Director, Proactiveinvestors USA
Edward Borrelli has over two decades of financial transaction experience, and has raised in excess of $500 million for an extensive list of clients. Ed spent several years as a senior registered broker at RAS Securities in New York and was Director, Investment Banking/ European Institutional Sales at Leeb Brokerage Services, and Senior Partner- Director of International Sales at Brookehill Equities, both in New York.
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Carrie Howes - Director of Operations, Proactivinvestors Germany
Event management is overseen by Carrie Howes, who runs her own Investor Relations business which offers extensive European Road shows. FSA regulated, with past experience as a broker with Union Securities, Carrie advises, assist and manages our One2One Forums in London and also offers all of our sponsors European road show options.
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Brian Keane - Corporate Advisor, USA
Brian Keane manages business development for Proactive Investors USA. He has over a decade of investment banking experience specializing in originating, placing, and structuring financing for emerging growth companies in the US and China. He has successfully closed over 50 investments and reverse mergers totaling over $700 million across every major industry around the globe. Brian has also advised and managed several buy side institutions including Paragon Capital, Keating Capital & Four Springs Capital and YA Global Investments. Prior, he was an associate at Rodman & Renshaw and held banking positions at Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. and Techvest, He began his career as an equity trader in the capital markets division of National Discount Brokers Group.
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Andre Lamberti - News Editor, Proactiveinvestors United Kingdom
Andre Lamberti spent ten years as sub-editor at AFX News, Thomson Financial and Thomson Reuters before joining Proactiveinvestors. Before his time at AFX, he was a copywriter for Fidelity International and reporter at Telecom Finance. Andre speaks German, Dutch and Italian and has a Masters Degree in History and Political Science.
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Giles Gwinnett - Sub Editor, Proactiveinvestors Germany
Giles Gwinnett is a qualified journalist and has been a reporter for a number of regional newspapers and for a national press agency. He was formerly a news analyst on the German team at Thomson Financial, now Thomson Reuters. He has a Bachelors degree in English Literature and German and a Masters in Film Studies. He currently manages content on Proactiveinvestors Germany.
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Joyanta Acharjee - Senior Equities Journalist
Joyanta Acharjee has worked for over 10 years as a financial journalist in the UK for Dow Jones, AFX News and Thomson Reuters and joins from BNN - Canada's Business News Network. He has covered corporate news and was a correspondent following the hedge fund industry in Europe and the UK. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal Europe, The UK's Daily Telegraph and Fortean Times magazine. A British citizen, he is based in Toronto.
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Sergei Balashov - Equities Journalist
Sergei Balashov began his journalistic career in 2001 as an op/ed writer for The North County Times before joining the Los Angeles Times' Moscow Bureau on a part time basis, while still a student at the University of Management of the Moscow Government. After graduating from alma-mater and commencing working on his PhD degree in economics, Sergei served as a senior analyst at Russian-American oil & gas consultancy Russian Petroleum Investor and as a staff writer at the Russia Profile magazine prior to moving to the UK and joining Proactiveinvestors.
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Jamie Ashcroft - Equities Journalist
After graduating with first class honours in Economics from Lancaster University 2006, Jamie spent a number of years as a Private Client Equity Dealer gaining front-line experience in the Investment industry during the most fast paced and volatile period in financial history. Having acquired an insight from both professional and individual investors, Jamie joined our growing editorial team in 2009.
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Jeff Coote - Equities Journalist
After graduating in Business Management from the University of Brighton in 1994, Jeff spent 10 years in Tokyo learning Japanese, teaching English and working for Bloomberg News as a Multimedia Journalist. On returning to the UK in 2005, he spent a further 3 years at Bloomberg in London before taking a sabbatical year to study for an MBA at London Metropolitan Business School. Jeff has now settled in Sydney and joined Proactiveinvestors as an Investment Writer.
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Deborah Sterescu - Equities Journalist
Deborah graduated with a Masters in International Journalism from City University in 2008 before moving on to become deputy editor of private equity trade journal unquote" UK. She has written about numerous issues surrounding the private equity market including fundraising in the current economic climate, turnaround and distressed debt investing, and the IPO market in general. Deborah has also completed stints at The Times, The Independent and The Economist. She just recently moved back to her hometown in Toronto, taking on the role of equities journalist at Proactiveinvestors` Toronto office.
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Jon Mainwaring - Contributor
A former engineer, Jon has written about the technology sector since the mid-1990s. His career includes time spent as an analyst for Durlacher investment bank, where he researched technology companies quoted on London's Alternative Investment Market. Since 2003 he has freelanced, writing for a wide range of publications that include UK national newspapers, US technology magazines and specialist financial publications. In 2005, he was named AIM Journalist of the Year – a prestigious award conferred upon him by the London Stock Exchange.
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Wendy Durham - Contributor
Wendy Durham has spent the best part of 35 years scribbling busily, having been editor of several business to business magazines and PR manager for a variety of companies, including two well-known exhibition organisers. In recent years, working from home has aided and abetted an investing habit which - whilst having a patchy success record to begin with - has led to a good knowledge of the natural resource sector, where she focuses on precious and base metals.
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Jason Chew - Contributor
Jason is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in biology and has over ten years experience working in drug discovery for biotechnology companies. Perhaps to the consternation of former English instructors, he recently began writing freelance on topics ranging from biotech to energy. Fortunately, teachers don't make up a large part of his reading audience.
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Richard Badauskas - Contributor
Richard Badauskas graduated with a BA in Law from Sydney University before moving to the United States where he set up and ran a boutique consultancy advising Australian resource companies on their North American Investor Relations and fundraising. This grew to include environmental technologies, fundraising and strategic planning.
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Harry Norman - Contributor & Interviewer
Harry contributes ideas, research, articles, audio interviews, and argues with Ian about big issues like strategy, the next big thing ... and the use of commas. He comes from a psychology and writing background, so he also coaches writers. Harry believes you can’t get enough gold, copper, oil, wheat etc - or enough good management!
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Jeremy Naylor - Equities and Market Reporter
Jeremy was a news anchor and show presenter on Bloomberg Television for 14-years, is currently with the BBC. Having had a wide range of experience in breaking news headlines, Jeremy has had the privilege of interviewing some of the biggest names in global business. Prior to joining Bloomberg Jeremy had freelance contracts with LBC, IRN and British Forces Broadcasting. He has a Law and Industrial Relations Degree, from University of Kent.
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Rachel Vaughan - Events Co-ordinator UK
Rachel is Events Co-ordinator for Proactiveinvestors’ One2One forums in London, Manchester, Dublin, Toronto and New York. She ensures the smooth running of each event from initial organization, sending out invitations to attendees and liaising with the venue beforehand and during the evening. Her organizational skills and knowledge gained from her degree in Marketing Management are instrumental for her position at Proactiveinvestors.
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Rossana Menezes - Communications Manager North America
Rossana joined Proactive Investors Toronto's team as the Communications Manager in October 2010 to assist with events, sending out invitations to attendees and liaising with clients. She completed a degree in Social Communications in Brazil and worked as graphic designer, event manager and photographer before moving to Canada in 2009
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Ruth Gemmell - Communications Manager UK
Ruth joined Proactive Investors UK team as Communications Manager in August 2010, she previously worked for a charity specialising in fundraising and events. She also has a degree in Journalism which has been very useful for her role at Proactiveinvestors.
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Cheryl Warner - Client Support Administrator UK
Cheryl is the Client Support Administrator in the Proactiveinvestors UK office. She is responsible for updating our client's accounts, our regular columns and assisting in the management of events and communications. She has a degree in English Literature which has been advantageous to her role at Proactiveinvestors.
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Jackie Steinitz - Contributor
An economist by background Jackie Steinitz has worked in the fields of economics, statistics, market research and strategic planning in the transport and mining sectors. Previous employers have included Charter Consolidated/Anglo American and De Beers, where, inter alia, she was involved in forecasting short- and long-term trends, and she organised and analysed research projects in 20+ countries. She now works as a journalist and consultant.
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Brad Lemaire - Equities Journalist
Brad Lemaire joined Proactive Investors in May 2011 as a reporter at the Toronto office. He is a graduate of Humber College's Journalism Program and has been published in many small Toronto publications. He holds interests in business, photography and web-design.
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Olivia D'Orazio - Equities Journalist
After graduating with an Hons. B.A. from the University of Toronto, Olivia worked as a freelance writer at various publications around the Greater Toronto Area, including toronto.com. She wrote for an assortment of media outlets, including Thomson Reuters, before moving to Proactive Investors' Toronto office in May 2011.
