Optial announced today the formation of its new international Advisory Board.
Headed by Gideon Harbour, Optial’s founding chairman, the Optial Advisory Board will include industry experts Jeff Warren and Jean-Marc Blankert, both of whom have exceptional experience in the financial markets, working with large and small corporations in a variety of senior roles.
The newly appointed board will act in an advisory capacity to help steer Optial’s strategy and growth with respect to corporate issues, new business and product direction, bringing new ideas and perspectives to the existing Optial executive team and enabling closer ties with the financial services industry.
Chris O’Brien, CEO of Optial said “We are delighted to welcome Jeff and Jean-Marc to the newly formed Advisory Board. Their experience and viewpoint will be of particular value in driving forward the strategic growth of the business during challenging economic times. We welcome their contribution towards Optial’s continued success and future development.”
Jean-Marc Blankert has held a number of senior positions in Capital Markets for various European Investment Banks, including Global Head of Debt Capital Markets Origination at Calyon, the Corporate and Investment Banking arm of Crédit Agricole and European Head of Financial Institutions Origination at Société Générale Corporate and Investment Bank. He has 15 years of experience in capital markets, advising both corporations and financial institutions on debt and capital raising. He has a Masters of Science in Business Economics from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam.
Jeff Warren is a Director of Close Brothers Venture Capital Trust and Oxford Bio Theraputics. He was previously Chief Executive of the Bank of Ireland operations in the UK, having joined Bristol and West Building Society in 1992 as Finance Director and subsequently being promoted to Chief Executive, after the Society de-mutualised and became a subsidiary of the Bank of Ireland Group. He previously worked for Forte (then Trusthouse Forte) for ten years, mainly as Group Treasurer, for UBS Phillips & Drew in Corporate Finance and for Mountleigh Group as Finance Director. He is a Certified Accountant, a graduate of Manchester University and an alumnus of the London Business School Senior Executive Programme.