Mercia Asset Management PLC (MERC) Mercia Asset Management PLC (MERC) is a UK-focused private capital asset manager that backs regional SMEs and high-growth businesses outside London, helping them achieve their growth ambitions through flexible capital and active support. Mercia provides investment solutions across four core asset classes, venture, debt, private equity, and proprietary capital with adjacent strategies spanning development capital and property finance, and an expansion into real assets where there is clear market demand. The Group’s investment platform is designed to connect institutional and private capital with attractive regional opportunities that can be under-served by London-centric networks. A defining strength is Mercia’s national footprint of 11 regional offices, supported by deep local adviser relationships, personal networks and university partnerships. This regional presence helps Mercia originate and access high-quality deal flow, often identifying opportunities earlier and with greater local insight than more centralised competitors. As a listed business, Mercia is executing its Mercia ’27 plan, focused on: - Growing third-party assets under management (AuM) - Improving profitability - Delivering a progressive dividend Presenters: Dr Mark Payton, CEO Mark has extensive investment and scale-up experience. Since co-founding Mercia, he has led the sales of Hybrid Systems Ltd (to Myotec) to create PsiOxus Therapeutics Ltd, Warwick Effect Polymers Ltd (to Polytherics Ltd) to create Abzena plc, Oxford Genetics Ltd (sold to WuXi AppTec) and led the founding investment in Allinea Software Ltd (sold to ARM). Prior to Mercia, Mark played a leading role within Oxford University Innovation (“OUI”), the technology transfer operation of the University of Oxford, spinning out BioAnalab Ltd (sold to Millipore), Oxford Immunotec Ltd (listed on NASDAQ), Oxitec Ltd (sold to Intrexon) and Natural Motion Ltd (sold to Zynga). Following his time at OUI, Mark was the vice president of corporate development at Oxxon Therapeutics Inc, prior to its sale to Oxford BioMedica plc. Mark gained his PhD jointly between the University of Oxford and the University of London (King’s College). Mark also has an MBA from the University of Warwick, is a Sainsbury Management Fellow for Life Sciences and was awarded the 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year (regional and national). Martin Glanfield, CFO Martin has significant public and private markets business experience. He is a KPMG-qualified chartered accountant with more than 25 years’ experience as chief financial officer of four listed, three private equity-backed and several privately owned technology-led businesses. Martin joined the main market listed Forward Group PLC in 1993 and was group financial director from 1995 until its sale, for £129.0million, in 1997. In 1999, as deputy chief executive of Symonds plc, Martin led the ‘public to private’ of this main market-listed technology group, backed by NatWest Equity Partners. The group was successfully restructured and sold within 12 months to a NASDAQ-listed US electronics group, whereupon he became a vice president, working frequently in Silicon Valley. In addition to his CFO responsibilities, he also has overall responsibility for Mercia’s legal, compliance, marketing and M&A activities. Martin also chairs Mercia’s two lending subsidiaries which are currently managing c.£850million of Mercia’s AuM. He has an Honours degree in Business from Aston University and has passed the FT Non-executive Director Diploma.
