11 August 2025

Manolete Partners PLC ("Manolete" or "the Company")

Board Changes

Manolete (AIM:MANO), the leading quoted UK insolvency litigation financing company announces the following Board changes.

After many years building Manolete into the business it is today, and a City career spanning some 40 years, Steven Cooklin has decided to leave the business and step down from the Board with immediate effect. His leaving follows a stabilising of the business after the disruption of Covid, the recent refinancing of the Company's debt, the release of a strong set of results for the year ended 31 March 2025 and the settlement of the first Cartel claim. Steven was the founder of Manolete and has built the business into what it is today from an initial concept in 2009. The Board is very thankful for the years of effort he has put in.  

The Board has appointed Mena Halton as CEO to replace Steven. Mena is currently the Managing Director of Manolete and a member of the Board. Mena qualified as a solicitor in 1984 and has been with the Company for 11 years. She is a well respected market leader and ranked Band One for insolvency litigation funding in the Chambers and Partners Litigation Support Guide 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. She is currently responsible for all of the commercial operations of the Company and is therefore ideally suited to step up to the CEO role. Steven remains a large shareholder and will be available to the Board over the next 12 months to ensure a smooth transition.

The Board continues to make good progress with the appointment of a permanent CFO.

Lord Leigh of Hurley stated:

"Steven has put his heart and soul into building Manolete into the business it is today and embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that is required to build successful enterprises. We understand Steven's reasons for wanting to step back and are delighted that in Mena we have the ideal person to continue to lead the business."

Steven Cooklin stated:

"Taking Manolete from the inception of an 'idea' in 2009, through a number of venture financings to then, in 2018, a highly successful IPO on AIM, has been the pinnacle of my career. Manolete's work for, and alongside, HMRC, the Insolvency Service, the British Business Bank and the many hundreds of outstanding private sector insolvency practitioners and insolvency and restructuring lawyers has been a badge of great honour for the company and for me personally.

"Together with my exemplary colleagues on the board of directors, we have built a first class business, run by an outstanding team of extremely high quality professionals. I am secure in the knowledge that, as I step down from 16 years of leading this fine company, both its legacy and its bright future are safe in the hands of that brilliant team. I would like to thank every colleague, client, shareholder, adviser and banker who has supported me on this remarkable journey."

Mena Halton stated:

"Having worked closely with Steven for the past 11 years, I am delighted to become the CEO of Manolete and look forward to continuing to grow the business and building on what has been achieved so far by the entire Manolete team."

The information contained in this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the retained EU law version of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 (the "UK MAR") which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The information is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of the UK MAR. Upon the publication of this announcement this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

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