NEW CHAIRMAN FOR SCOTTISH FINANCIAL ENTERPRISE
July 30, 2009
NEW CHAIRMAN FOR SCOTTISH FINANCIAL ENTERPRISE
Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) today announced that Mark Tennant, senior adviser to J.P. Morgan, has been appointed as its new chairman.
Mark brings wide experience to the post, with a 36 year career spanning almost all major areas of financial services including investment banking, fund management, and pensions. He has strong international experience, having worked in Edinburgh, London, the US and Hong Kong.
In addition to his role at J.P. Morgan, he is currently a member of the international advisory board of global US asset management company T Rowe Price Global Investor Services, one of the major US global asset managers, and chairman of management consultancy Bluerock.
He spent 13 years with Chase Manhattan Bank (latterly J.P. Morgan), opening the Edinburgh office for Chase, then moving to America as head of strategy and finance for the custody division. In 1996 he returned to London where he spent eight years as head of strategic planning for Europe and Asia.
He takes over the role at SFE from John Campbell, who has completed his term of office. In announcing the appointment, John Campbell said:
"Mark is widely known in the industry as an individual with great international experience and expertise. At a time when decisions made by the EU and on the wider global stage will have a lasting impact on our industry in Scotland, his appointment is great news.
"I congratulate Mark on this new role, and hope he enjoys it as much as I have done. I am very confident that under Mark's leadership, the Board and the CEO, Owen Kelly, will continue to build on the success that SFE has achieved in representing the Scottish financial services industry through the challenging times that we are experiencing."
Mark Tennant said:
"Our industry has, understandably, been under intense scrutiny over the last 18 months and I have admired the way SFE has responded to that. But we still have a long way to go before the trust so essential to successful financial services is fully restored; and I relish the chance to contribute to SFE's continuing efforts to make that happen.
"Scotland has the skills and diversity in its financial services industry to build now on past successes. We must engage with the critical players who will shape the operating environment for the future, and take every opportunity to explain and promote Scotland's strengths.
"I look forward immensely to taking on these challenges and to working with an excellent Board, and with SFE members from all parts of the industry. I also intend to continue to develop our links with the Scottish Government and with SFE's many partners in the public and private sectors."
Mark assumes the post of chairman of Scottish Financial Enterprise on Monday 24 August, 2009.
Mary Mowat
Communications
Scottish Financial Enterprise
0131 247 7700
NOTE TO EDITORS
Further background on Mark Tennant:
Mark is currently a senior adviser to J.P. Morgan and a member of the Advisory Board of T Rowe Price Global Investor Services. He is chairman of the management consultancy, Bluerock, chairman of The Money Portal plc, a non executive director of Foreign and Colonial Private Equity Trust and advises a number of other companies including the executive search group, 33 St James'.
Prior to this he spent 13 years with Chase Manhattan Bank (latterly J.P. Morgan), opening the Edinburgh office of Chase in 1991 and then moving to America as head of strategy and finance for the custody division. In 1996 he returned to London where until September 2004 he was head of strategic planning for Europe and Asia and ran some of the major relationships for J.P. Morgan Investor Services.
From 1986 - 1991 he was a director of Hill Samuel. In this role, he served as chairman of Hill Samuel Private Clients Ltd, Hill Samuel Unit Trusts Managers Ltd and Bell Lawrie White & Co Ltd.
From 1983 - 1986 he was marketing director of Fidelity's ERISA operations and managing director of UK Pension Funds.
Prior to joining Fidelity, he spent 10 years with Hambros Bank, the last three as managing director of their Far East operation based in Hong Kong.
He served for seven years in the Scots Guards, and his other activities have included youth leadership officer for the UK for St John Ambulance Brigade.
In the early 1990s he was Conservative candidate in Dunfermline East and for the European constituency of the Highlands and Islands, but is no longer politically active.
In 2006 he was elected to be a Fellow of The Royal Society for the Advancement of The Arts Industry and Science FRSA
Before going to America, he was non-executive director of Quality Street Ltd and Scotland International Ltd. He is also a Trustee of The Royal Hospital Chelsea and is convenor of The Northern Meeting until September 2009.
He is married with three children and lives in Elgin.
