Founded in Bristol in 1986 as a pawnbroking service, the main part of our business remains the issue of loans against the security of gold jewellery and diamonds
The Board
C L Nicolson - Non Executive Chairman
Mr Nicolson was appointed to the Board as Chairman on 11 January 2001 and is a member of the Audit and Remuneration committees. He began his career working in Investment Banking for Charterhouse Japhet and Thomasson Limited and subsequently spent seven years with Lazard Brothers & Co Limited.
G V Nicholls FCA - Chief Executive
Greville Nicholls joined the company in 1992 as finance director and Mr Nicholls was appointed Chief Executive on 1995 having been member of the Board at the time of the Company's admission to AIM. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and is a member of the Company's Audit and Remuneration committees.
D P Pattinson BCom, ACA (NZ) - Finance Director
Mr Pattinson was appointed to the Board on 23 August 2002.
D A L Page - Operations Director
David Page joined the company in 1992 and has had a number of senior operational roles. Mr Page was appointed to the Board on 5 September 2000 prior to which he was a senior executive within the Company.
S B Brinkley Jnr - Non Executive Director
Mr Brinkley was appointed to the Board on 29 June 1998 and is a member of the Remuneration committee. Mr Brinkley is also the Chairman of the Board of EZCORP, Inc, a substantial shareholder in the Company.
P E Cohen BCom, MBA - Non Executive Director
Mr Cohen was appointed to the Board on 8 November 2002. Mr Cohen is the controlling shareholder of EZCORP, Inc a substantial shareholder in the Company.
A M Edwards - Non Executive Director
Mr Edwards was appointed to the Board on 23 August 2002 and is a member of the Audit Committee. He is an experienced investment banker having previously been president of a New York merchant bank.
P P Murphy - Non Executive Director
Mr Murphy was a founder director of Albemarle & Bond Holdings plc.
N J Mardon Taylor FCA - Non Executive Director
Mr Nicholls was a member of the Board at the time of the Company's admission to AIM in 1995 and is a member of the Audit and Remuneration committees. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and has held senior financial positions in a number of organizations, including Total Oil Marine plc.
The responsibilities of the Board and Board Committees:
The Company is managed by a Board of Directors consisting of an non executive chairman, three executive directors and four non-executive directors who retain responsibility for the formulation of corporate strategy, allocation of financial resources, investments, risk management and reporting of results.
The Company's shares are traded on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange and the Company is not therefore required to report on compliance with the Combined Code ("the Code"). However the Board supports the Code, and also the recommendations of the Quoted Companies Alliance ("QCA") in its bulletin "Guidance for Smaller Quoted Companies". The bulletin provides a series of recommendations for smaller quoted companies in approaching the question of corporate governance.
Accordingly, the Board has established an Audit Committee and a Remuneration Committee, and complies with the Code in areas where it is felt justified by reference to the QCA comments
as being relevant to a business the size of Albemarle & Bond Holdings PLC. The appointment of new directors is a matter reserved for the Board as a whole rather than for a separate nomination committee.
The Audit Committee comprises C L Nicolson, G V Nicholls, N J Mardon Taylor and A M Edwards. The Finance Director will also attend Audit Committee meetings if requested by the committee Chairman. It has primary responsibility for monitoring the quality of internal controls and ensuring that the Company's financial performance is properly monitored, controlled and reported. It receives and reviews reports from the Company's management and auditors relating to the interim and annual accounts and the accounting and internal control systems in use throughout the Company. It also meets the auditors at least once a year and reviews reports from the auditors relating to accounts and internal control systems.
The Remuneration Committee comprises C L Nicolson, G V Nicholls, N J Mardon Taylor and S B Brinkley Jnr. The committee is responsible for reviewing the performance of the Executive Directors and Senior Executives and making recommendations to the Board on matters relating to their remuneration and terms of employment.