About Us

The Team

Bringing together decades of experience

Oberon Group is a financial boutique comprising three divisions: Investment Management, Wealth Planning and Corporate Advisory & Broking.

The Board

Mike Cuthbert

Non-Exec Chairman

Non-Exec Director

Mark Ibbotson

Non-Exec Director

Finance Director

Investment Management Team

Corporate Advisory, Broking & Private Ventures Team

Wealth Management

Compliance & Support

Why Oberon?

We acquire a deep understanding of the client’s requirements

No two businesses or individuals have the same needs, values, or aspirations, so we start each relationship or transaction with a blank piece of paper and take time to acquire a deep understanding of the client’s requirements.

Boutique

As a boutique we can offer clients the personal attention of a private office whilst delivering the capabilities, contacts, and services of a large institution.

Expert

We are experts in what we do. Once familiar with a client we develop a plan, challenge the status quo and provide strategic advice, followed up with expert execution.

Bespoke

The plan we implement on a clients’ behalf will have been tailored to meet their specific needs. We take time getting to know all clients and their individual objectives and aspirations, ensuring we take into consideration future challenges they are likely to face.

Partnership

We see our clients as partners. We work with them to deliver effective solutions in line with their strategic and financial goals whilst also creating, and giving them access to, compelling opportunities.

Aligned

We are aligned with our clients and we will grow with our clients. We ensure that the clients’ goals and objectives are also our own. We are investing in, and growing, services that enhance and complement the existing services we give to clients.

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Mike Cuthbert

Non-Exec Chairman

Following a short career in the army Mike spent 37 years as an investment banker advising Asset and Wealth management companies. He started his professional career at HSBC James Capel in 1987 where he built a up a franchise working with and advising a number of Asset and Wealth management companies in addition to running the Investment Company team. In 1999 he joined Charterhouse Group before being a Founder member of Bridgewell, a fast-growing UK orientated investment bank, where he specialised in financial services companies. In 2008 he joined Canaccord Genuity as Head of the Financial sales team. He retired in December 2022 from Zeus Capital where he was Co – Head of the FIG group from 2015. Mike joined Oberon as Non-Exec Chairman in 2023.

In addition to his work in the financial sector Mike is a keen conservationist and is Chairman of the Painted Wolf Foundation (PWF) which funds projects to protect African Wild Dogs.

The Hon Alexander Robert Hambro

Non-Executive Chairman

Alex Hambro has worked in the venture and private equity sector both in the UK and USA for much of his career, during which time he has acted as a principal investor, manager and sponsor of private equity and venture capital management teams and adviser on private equity investment strategies. Alex is an active personal investor in small, growth-oriented private and public companies. As well as his role at Oberon, Alex is Chairman of AIM-listed Judges Scientific plc; Falanx Group Ltd and OTAQ plc. He is also a Director of Octopus Apollo VCT plc. In addition to his responsibilities at these listed companies, Alex is also Chairman of IWP Holdings Ltd; Crescent Capital Ltd; and a non-executive director of Time Partners Ltd.

Alex is currently a principal at Welbeck Capital Partners, a specialist investment advisory boutique that deploys hybrid debt/equity instruments to finance growth opportunities for both private and small-cap AIM companies.

Gemma Godfrey

Non-Exec Director

Gemma was previously head of investment strategy at Brooks Macdonald Group plc, having started her career at Goldman Sachs and GAM Holding AG, with a background in quantum physics.

In 2015, Gemma founded Moola Systems Limited, an FCA authorised digital investment service, and was CEO of the company from September 2015 until November 2019, (it was acquired by FTSE 250 insurer Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group in July 2018). She pioneered new technology in financial services (fintech) and went on to launch a digital media business for News UK.

Since 2020, Gemma has been a non-executive director for several private and public companies. These include Saga plc, VivoPower International plc, Kingswood Holdings and Eight Capital Partners. A former boardroom adviser on The (US) Apprentice, Gemma is a business expert on ITV and Sky News.

The Hon Robert William Hanson

Non-Executive Director

Robert Hanson founded Hanson Asset Management Ltd. and Hanson Capital Ltd. and has been Chairman or CEO of 8 different companies. Robert is Chairman of Hanson Capital Investments Ltd., Chairman of Hanson Family Holdings Ltd., Chairman for Sinojie Hanson Ltd. and Co-Chairman & Managing Partner at Millennium Hanson Advisors LLC. He is also on the board of Sport & Artist Management Ltd. and a Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. Robert previously held the positions of Chairman for Strand Hanson Ltd. and Chairman of Hanson Asset Management Ltd. Robert’s corporate broking background included roles as Associate Director at N.M. Rothschild & Sons Ltd. Robert achieved an MA in English Literature from St Peter’s College Oxford.

Mark Ibbotson

Non-Executive Director

Mark Ibbotson is a portfolio Non Executive Director in financial services, following an executive career over three decades in the futures industry.  He joined Oberon Group as a Non Executive Director in 2022.

Mark’s career began at the London Stock Exchange in 1990 as a risk manager in their options division, which soon merged with London’s fast growing LIFFE exchange. Mark spent 23 years at LIFFE – through acquisitions by Euronext, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the InterContinental Exchange (ICE) in 2013.  Mark’s last role at LIFFE was Chief Executive Officer and Global Head of Clearing for NYSE. During his time at LIFFE, Mark was responsible for restructuring the London market from an ‘open outcry’, floor-based marketplace to a global electronic market.

In 2013 Mark became Group CEO of G.H. Financials, a wholesale clearing provider with regulated subsidiaries in London, Chicago and Hong Kong. During his 5 years as Group CEO, Mark oversaw a major strategic expansion of the company’s customer base and its global presence.  Since 2018, Mark has served as non executive Chairman of G. H. Financials.

In addition to Oberon Group and G. H. Financials, Mark serves as a non executive director of the Washington-based Futures Industry Association (an industry trade body). He is also the independent non executive director of Skytra (an FCA-regulated benchmark provider and data company, wholly owned by Airbus).  Mark also served two terms on the FCA’s Market Practitioner Panel until 2018.

Nicola Mitford-Slade

Non-Executive Director

Nicola Mitford-Slade is a well accomplished professional with over three decades of expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management within the financial services sector. With a robust background in advising and implementing strong corporate governance frameworks and systems, she has cultivated a reputation for her pragmatic and commercially-minded approach.

Her wealth of experience extends to navigating complex mergers & acquisitions and guiding organisations through transformative phases. Nicola’s insights and strategic counsel have been instrumental in steering boards towards informed decision-making and mitigating risk.

Prior to joining our team as a Non-Executive Director, Nicola held significant roles, including General Counsel at Smith & Williamson and Evelyn Partners post-merger, where she served for seven years. Before that, she spent seven years at Canaccord Genuity, culminating in her role as Head of Legal and Compliance and money laundering reporting officer for the UK regulated businesses.

Nicola’s legal background as a qualified barrister further enriches her ability to navigate regulatory landscapes effectively. Her track record of leadership and expertise makes her a valuable addition to the Oberon Investments Group PLC Board, bringing invaluable insights and guidance to our organisation.

Simon Philip McGivern

Chief Executive Officer

Simon started his professional career at Panmure Gordon Asset Management in 1996 where he worked in the wealth management division for six years. He focused on investment management and financial analysis. In 2002, Simon left the City. He founded a number of companies, including Handpicked Companies, an ecommerce venture, which he grew substantially and exited via a trade sale to News Corp in 2014. Simon also founded Litebulb Group in 2008, which went from two people and in the first year of trading to 100 staff and £25m in sales when he left in 2015. During his time there, Simon executed six acquisitions, raised over £10m in funding and led its IPO on AIM in 2010. Additionally, Simon was a founder director of Cleeve Capital plc (now Bigblu Broadband) and oversaw its IPO on the Standard List in December 2014 and the reverse takeover of Satellite Solutions Worldwide. He also set up and is a director of Map Ventures in 2015, a corporate advisory firm.

Simon founded Oberon in November 2018 and led the acquisition of M.D. Barnard. He is regulated by the FCA as SMF1 Chief Executive and SMF3 Executive Director.

Galin Ganchev

Finance Director

Galin started his career with PwC and qualified as a chartered accountant in 2014. During his time at PwC, Galin provided a variety of services, ranging from audit to consulting, to insurance and investment management companies. Over time, Galin shifted his focus to the growing fintech sector, where he helped companies implement good processes and controls to allow them to scale and support their fast growth.

In 2018, Galin moved to Octopus Investments where he was appointed the Head of Risk and Compliance of Octopus Labs, Octopus’ fintech division. Alongside this, Galin worked on several strategic projects for the wider business and prior to leaving was overseeing the strategic and operational growth of Octopus Ventures.

Galin joined Oberon as Finance Director in May 2023.