Mercia Asset Regulatory News (MERC)

AIM: MERC

22 June 2010

MERCHANT SECURITIES PLC

("Merchant Securities" or "the Group")

Senior Appointments

Merchant Securities, the financial services group, is pleased to announce two key senior appointments. Lindsay Mair will join the Group's securities business as Head of UK Small Cap Sales & Research and Chris Smith has been appointed as a Senior Executive to establish a research capability in the Financials sector. Both Lindsay Mair and Chris Smith join in September this year.

Lindsay Mair has over 20 years' experience of working within the UK Small/Mid Cap sector. Most recently, he was managing director of Astaire Securities plc. From 2004 to 2009, Lindsay was head of corporate finance at Daniel Stewart & Company plc, where he helped grow its corporate finance business. Prior to this, he worked in advisory and other roles at Corporate Synergy, Sheppards and Citicorp Scrimgeour Vickers. Lindsay qualified as a chartered accountant with Touche Ross in 1986.

Chris Smith has extensive experience as a financials analyst, covering pan-European financial stocks. Latterly, Chris was the senior financials analyst at Jefferies International Limited, having been general financials analyst at Oriel Securities Limited. Chris spent his early career at Barclays de Zoete Wedd Limited as part of the top ranked UK financials team and also worked for HSBC James Capel, where he was the top ranked speciality financials analyst.

These appointments follow the recent enlargement of the Group's institutional equity sales team, with Suzanne Johnson-Walsh joining the sales desk to work alongside head of sales, John Coulson. Suzanne has over 20 years' experience in the UK Smaller Companies market and equity sales. 

Commenting on the appointments, Chief Executive of Merchant Securities, Patrick Claridge, said,

"We have ambitions to develop our institutional sales and research capabilities and these appointments represent an encouraging step forward towards this goal. I am confident that the skills and experience which Lindsay and Chris bring will prove valuable in accelerating the growth of our offering and building our market share." 

About Merchant Securities plc

Based in London, Merchant Securities plc provides a broad range of financial services to private clients, institutions and companies. Specific services include private client investment and wealth management, institutional sales, research and trading, corporate finance and corporate broking.

The Group's principal subsidiary, Merchant John East Securities Limited, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, a member of the London Stock Exchange and an approved Nominated Adviser to AIM companies.

Website: www.merchantjohneast.com