Dr. Hans Beck, Chairman

Hans is the Chairman of Torch Partners and focuses on client relationships and building up the senior advisor and international network.

Hans has held numerous senior positions over the course of a thirty year banking career. Most recently he was CEO of Deutsche Bank Asia Pacific, with responsibility for all the group's investment banking activities. Hans has also served as a Managing Director of Deutsche Bank London and as Country Head of Japan and Australia for Deutsche Bank. Hans has a law degree and a doctorate of law from the University of Fribourg. He speaks fluent English and French as well as his native German.

Rupert Robson, CEO, Managing Director

Rupert is CEO of Torch, and is active both in the day to day provision of advice to clients as well as running Torch. While at Torch he has originated and / or led many of the transactions on which Torch has advised, notably including the Telecity buy and build. Prior to co-founding Torch Partners, Rupert was the Director responsible for the Technology investment banking team at NM Rothschild. He has an MBA from Stanford where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar, an MA from Cambridge University. In addition to his native English, he speaks German, French, Italian and Spanish.

Seth Schelin, Managing Director

Seth is a Managing Director of Torch Partners. He focuses on building the organisation, client relationships and transaction execution.

Seth began his investment banking career in 1996 with Hambrecht & Quist in San Francisco. In 1999, he helped establish H&Q's European M&A practice in London, specialising in the Tech, Telecoms and Media sectors. Seth has completed approximately 40 M&A and financing transactions originally with H&Q, later as a Vice President for JPMorgan and most recently as the Managing Director of two boutique advisory firms. Seth attended Stanford University where he earned an MS in Mechanical Engineering and a BAS double major in Engineering (Tau Beta Pi) and History. He is proficient in Spanish and German.

David Kippen, Managing Director

David Kippen joined Torch Partners in 2008 to lead the firm's growing energy and resources practice.

Prior to this David was with UBS Investment Bank in London focusing on oil & gas and alternative energy sectors. David was also a Senior Vice President for M&A at JP Morgan in New York and San Fransisco, and an interim CFO of a Canadian publicly listed oil and gas technology company. Throughout his career, David has advised clients, executed mergers and acquisitions, initiated strategic partnerships, and managed private and public financings in NA, Europe, Latin America and Asia. He holds a BA from McGill University in Montreal and a Master's of International Relations from John Hopkins University/SAIS in Washington DC where he focused on energy policy studies.

Simon Carmichael, Director

Simon is a Director at Torch Partners. Simon runs the Private Placement and Venture Sellside practice at Torch Partners, primarily focusing on raising equity and debt financing as well as M&A advice for growth companies in the software, internet and clean technology industries. Prior to joining Torch Partners in 2007, Simon was a partner at a Boston based investment bank, prior to that he worked at CSFB's Technology Group in London and Hambrecht & Quist in San Francisco. Simon has advised on over 40 successfully completed financing and M&A transactions, most recently in 2009 a £10.5 million financing for Just-Eat, in 2008 a $8.0 million financing for Isango! and in 2006 the sale of ALG Software PLC to Business Objects Inc for $65 million. Simon has a M.Eng from Oxford University.

Andrew Leathers, Director

Andrew is a Director of Torch Partners. He focuses on building the organisation and transaction execution. Prior to joining Torch Partners in 2003, Andrew worked for Atlas Venture in San Francisco and London, focusing on venture capital investing in high growth companies. Prior to joining Atlas Venture, Andrew worked for Morgan Stanley in its mergers and acquisitions division. Andrew earned a BSc (First Class) in Biological Sciences from Oxford University and has an MBA from Insead.

Fohzia Ahmed, Office Manager

Fohzia joined Torch Partners in December 2005. Fohzia is the Office Manager for Torch. Previously, she was the Office Manager for White Cube; one of the most influential commercial galleries of the past decade. Prior to that Fohzia was a PA/Regional Press and Marketing Coordinator for Phillips/Bonhams Auctioneers based in Kent and London. Fohzia has a BA from UCE Birmingham in Hospitality Management.

Thomas Roberts, Associate

Tom joined Torch Partners in 2004, He has worked on many of Torch's transactions including the Telecity transactions, the bid for EAG by SVTC, the financing of Cameby Downs and the sale of Tertio. Tom graduated in Finance and Accounting at the London School of Economics.

Alexander Luycx, Associate

Alexander joined Torch Partners in April 2008 to focus on transaction execution and business development. Previously he worked for a US based investment bank where he advised inter alia on the sale of Namesco Ltd. to Dada S.p.A. and worked on the sale of Respond Group Ltd to CDC Corp. Alexander started his career at the Dutch investment bank Kempen & Co in Amsterdam. He holds a Master Degree (Magna Cum Laude) in Commercial Engineering in Management Informatics from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and is fluent in Dutch, English, French and German.

Huw Lloyd, Associate

Huw Lloyd joined Torch Partners in May 2006, and is focused on private placements and M&A. While at Torch he has worked on the more recent Telecity transactions, the bid for EAG by SVTC and the Just-Eat financing. Previously he worked as a financial consultant at KPMG in London. He has a BA from Oxford University.

Tim Kindt, Analyst

Tim is an Analyst at Torch Partners. Prior to joining Torch, Tim worked for the London team of an American based Investment bank focusing on M&A. He has a BA from Oxford University.

William Trevelyan Thomas, Analyst

William is an Analyst at Torch Partners. Prior to joining Torch, William worked for the London office of a leading American asset management and securities services company where he was part of the Institutional Sales team for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He has a M.Chem from Oxford University.