Frenkel Topping Regulatory News (FEN)

Frenkel Topping Group plc

("Frenkel Topping" or "the Company")

Directorate Change

Frenkel Topping Group (AIM: FEN), a specialist independent financial advisor and wealth manager focused on asset protection for clients, is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Mills as a Non-executive Director of the Company with immediate effect.

Mr. Mills founded Harwood Capital Management in 2011, a successor to its former parent company JO Hambro Capital Management, which he co-founded in 1993 and was formerly the Chief Investment Officer. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Investment Manager of North Atlantic Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc, a UK listed investment trust, and a Non-Executive Director of several companies including MJ Gleeson plc, EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc and Augean plc. Mr. Mills was appointed a Non-Executive Director of Harwood Wealth Management Group plc ("Harwood Wealth") in 2016, an AIM listed financial planning and discretionary wealth management firm business which he helped to build. Harwood Wealth was acquired by Hurst Point, a company formed by funds managed by US private equity firm Carlyle Group for GBP91m earlier this year.

Richard Fraser, Chief Executive Officer of Frenkel Topping, said:

"We are very pleased to welcome Christopher to the Board. We have known Christopher for many years and his wealth of financial services and public company experience, together with an in-depth knowledge of Frenkel Topping, will be of great value to the business. We look forward to working with him as we continue to implement our strategy and deliver further successes."

For further information: 

The following information is disclosed in accordance with Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies in connection with the appointment of Christopher Mills to the Board of the Company as a Non-Executive director:

Full name: Christopher Harwood Bernard Mills

Age: 67 years

As at the date of this announcement 15,100,000 ordinary shares of 0.5p each in the capital of the Company are held by North Atlantic Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc and company of which Mr Mills is both a shareholder and director.

Current Directorships/Partnerships:

 Directorships/Partnerships held in the past five years:

Christopher Mills has been a director of the following companies which have been placed into liquidation or receivership/administration:

Nationwide Security Group plc: receivership completed and company dissolved in November 2005.

Versatile Group Limited: administration completed and company dissolved in May 2001.

Tricor plc (formerly PNC Telecom plc): Christopher Mills resigned in February 2003 and administrators were appointed in June 2003 and subsequently discharged in January 2014 and the business resumed trading.

United Industries plc: Christopher Mills resigned in October 2005. Administrators were appointed on April 2006 and the company was dissolved in May 2008.

Jarvis Porter Group plc: administrators appointed in August 2007 with dissolution in November 2008.

W.G. Mitchell (2005) Limited, W.G. Mitchell (Charlotte Square) Limited, W.G. Mitchell (Fifteen) Limited, W.G. Mitchell (George Street) Limited, W.G. Mitchell (Seven) Limited, W.G. Mitchell Enterprises Limited: Christopher Mills was appointed as director of these companies in December 2009 and resigned in January 2015 before they were all dissolved in June 2016.

Team Rock Limited: Christopher Mills was appointed as a director in April 2013 and resigned in October 2017. Administrators were appointed in December 2016 and the business was liquidated in December 2017.

Kelvinhaugh Student Accommodation Limited: In May 2015 the shareholders voted to wind-up the company and dissolution took place in June 2017.

Baltimore Capital plc: the company was placed into voluntary liquidation in March 2011 and was dissolved in June 2017 via a voluntary members liquidation.

Izodia plc: entered into a company voluntary liquidation in November 2011 and Christopher Mills resigned in November 2012.

Valiant Sports Holdings Limited: company was dissolved in September 2014 following a voluntary creditor liquidation.

Christopher Mills was a Non-Executive director of Goals Soccer Centres Plc ("Goals") at the time that significant historic accounting errors and improper behaviour by certain individuals employed by Goals were discovered. Goals was sold to Northwind 5s Limited as a pre-pack administration in 31 October 2019. Funds generated did not fully compensate Goals' lenders and it is expected that shareholders at the time would not receive any value for their shares in Goals. There was no implication of wrongdoing by Christopher Mills during his tenure as a Non-Executive director.

About Frenkel Topping Group: www.frenkeltopping.co.uk 

The financial services firm consists of Frenkel Topping Limited, Ascencia Investment Management, Obiter Wealth Management and Equatas Accountants.

The group of companies specialises in providing financial advice and asset protection services to clients at times of financial vulnerability, with particular expertise in the field of personal injury and clinical negligence.

With more than 30 years' experience in the industry, Frenkel Topping Group has earned a reputation for commercial astuteness underpinned by a strong moral obligation to its clients, employees and wider society, with a continued focus on its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) impact.

Through its core business, Frenkel Topping Limited, the firm supports litigators pre-settlement in achieving maximum damages, by providing expert witness services, and post-settlement to achieve the best long-term financial outcomes for clients after injury. It boasts a client retention rate of 99%.

The Group's discretionary fund manager, Ascencia, provides bespoke financial portfolios for clients in unique circumstances. In recent years Ascencia has diversified its portfolios to include a Sharia-law-compliant portfolio and a number of ESG portfolios in response to increased interest in socially responsible investing (SRI).

Obiter provides a generalist wealth management service - including advice on Savings; Tax planning; Life Insurance; Critical Illness and Income protection; Endowment advice and Keyman Insurance, with a particular specialism in financial advice on pensions and pension sharing orders for the clients of divorce and family lawyers. Obiter applies the same core principles of honesty, transparency, responsibility and reliability to individuals, regardless of background or situation.

In 2019, Frenkel Topping launched its accountancy arm, Equatas, to assist clients with tax planning and move closer to providing a full end-to-end service under the Group brand, improving the experience for clients and maintaining the Group's standards throughout the client journey.