Pluto Finance, British Land, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Flotek Industries, Schroder European REIT
Pluto Finance – The real estate private credit platform part owned by Universities Superannuation Scheme has appointed Ashley Manning-Brown as head of UK investor solutions. Before joining Pluto, Manning-Brown spent 15 years at Columbia Threadneedle Investments as both institutional director and head of consultant relations in the UK. Manning-Brown also gained experience in New York and London on the fixed-income desks of BNP Paribas and JPMorgan.
British Land – The UK commercial property company has appointed Mary Ricks as non-executive director. She recently stepped down as president of Kennedy Wilson, where she worked for 32 years, overseeing the launch of its European business and subsequent IPO in London in 2014. Ricks was group president of the group from 2018 to 2023, serving as a board member with a focus on the investment and asset management business.
Energy Vault Holdings – The sustainable grid-scale energy storage solutions firm has appointed Bernie Colson as vice president of investor relations. Most recently, Colson served as SVP president for corporate development, sustainability, and investor relations at Flotek Industries in Houston, TX. Before his role at Flotek, he was a global equity analyst and energy team lead at Ivy Investments in Kansas City. Prio. Earlier in his career, he served as MD and team leader of energy infrastructure research at Oppenheimer and held various energy investment-focused roles at Tortoise Capital Advisors, Waddell & Reed, and Citigroup Asset Management.
Schroder European REIT – Mark Beddy has been appointed independent non-executive director with effect from 1 January 2024. Beddy will also be a member of the audit, valuation and risk committee, nomination and remuneration committee and management engagement committee. Beddy is expected to succeed Jonathan Thompson as chair of the audit, valuation and risk committee following his retirement from the board at the conclusion of the AGM in March 2024. Beddy was formerly a senior audit partner in Deloitte. He is a trustee of the British Council, where he is chair of the finance committee and a member of the audit and risk committee. He is a non-executive director of Portfolio REIT and chair of the audit committee. He is an independent member of the finance committee of the London Symphony Orchestra and chair of its subsidiary LSO Productions Limited. He is a trustee of a private real estate portfolio and an independent member of the credit committee of a real estate income fund.
