Board/Senior Management

Jim Mellon, Executive Chair

Jim Mellon is a well-known and successful entrepreneur, author and economic commentator, starting his career in fund management and now including biopharma, property, mining and information technology amongst his many investments. He holds directorships in a number of companies, both quoted and unquoted, including the chairship of Juvenescence Limited and being a non-executive director of Agronomics Limited. He, together with Burnbrae Group Limited, of which he is the beneficial owner, holds a 18.83% shareholding of Manx Financial Group PLC. He is the founder, principal shareholder and chair of the Regent Pacific Group, quoted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Appointment
Appointed to the Board on 2 November 2007 and appointed as Executive Chair on 12 February 2009.

Denham Eke, Executive Vice Chair

Denham Eke is the Managing Director of Burnbrae Group Limited, a private international asset management company. He began his career in stockbroking with Sheppards & Chase before moving into corporate planning for Hogg Robinson plc, a major multinational insurance broker. He is a director of many years standing of both public and private companies involved in the financial services, property, mining, and manufacturing sectors.

Appointment
Appointed to the Board on 2 November 2007 and appointed as Executive Vice Chair on 3 November 2021.

Alan Clarke, Non-executive Director

Alan Clarke is a chartered accountant and former senior partner of Ernst & Young during which time he worked closely with HSBC offshore operations in both the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Currently, he specialises in corporate finance and strategic consultancy, advising a variety of both listed and private companies. He holds several non-executive directorships and is a past President of ICAEW Manchester.

Appointment
Appointed to the Board on 2 November 2007.
Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and Chair of the Remuneration Committee.

Douglas Grant, Chief Executive Officer

Douglas Grant has over 30 years’ experience working in finance, initially with Scottish Power, before moving to the industrial sector to work with ICI and then Allenwest. Prior to joining Manx Financial Group PLC, he was finance director of various UK and Isle of Man private sector companies and has extensive capital markets experience. He is a professionally qualified banker with an executive MBA.

Appointment
Appointed to the Board on 14 January 2010 and appointed as Chief Executive Officer on 3 November 2021. He is the Managing Director of Conister Bank Limited

Gregory Bailey, Non-executive Director

Gregory Bailey has spent 20 years as an entrepreneur, executive and financier in the healthcare sector. He is the executive chair and co-founder of Juvenescence Ltd a company focused on drugs to modify aging. He is also on the board of directors of Serina Therapeutics a biotech company with a platform LNP technology and Portage Biotech Inc. an oncology company. He's the cofounder and chair of Chelsea Avondale an insurance company, and Culminant Reinsurance along with a position on the board of directors of Manx Financial Group PLC. He is the former director and financier of Medivation Inc. (MDVN: NASDAQ) and cofounder of Ascent Healthcare solutions, for VirnetX Inc. Internet security company and Duramedic Inc. a Medical products company. Prior posts in the investment and financial services sector included managing director of both Guilford securities and managing director of Knightsford Bancorp.

Appointment
Appointed to the Board on 7 February 2018.

John Spellman, Non-executive Director

John Spellman is both a qualified accountant and banker. He spent his early years in banking, fund management and accountancy specialising in the various parts of the offshore industry before being appointed managing director of Clerical Medical Offshore.  He transferred to the UK as chief operating officer within Clerical Medical Financial Services before being appointed managing director of HBoS Financial Services. He has worked with and created a number of successful businesses and has wide experience liaising with government regulators.  He has held approved status with the FSA Isle of Man in various roles and has acted as strategic advisor to the Isle of Man government, specialising in finance and foreign direct investment for over 10 years. 

Appointment
Appointed to the Board on 4 May 2020. He is the Chair of Conister Bank Limited.

Greg Jones, Non-executive Director

Greg Jones was called to the UK Bar in 1982 and subsequently joined KPMG Isle of Man where he spent 29 years before retiring in October 2019 as Head of Tax. Greg currently provides tax advice for a leading Isle of Man based firm of advocates and is a director of a local Corporate Service Provider. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Appointment
Appointed to the Board on 3 November 2021.

James Smeed, Group Finance Director

James has over 15 years financial services experience, having started his career with KPMG in audit and assisting in transaction services. He joined the Group in August 2012 as Group Head of Finance and was appointed to the Bank’s Board as Finance Director in 2017 and to the Group’s Board in 2021. He is both a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Adviser and Treasurer of the Isle of Man Bankers Association.

Appointment
Appointed to the Board on 3 November 2021.