Non Executive Directors

Norman Gaut

Non Executive Director

Dr Norman E. Gaut retired in October of 2001 from his role as Chairman, CEO and President of the PictureTel Corporation.

Under his leadership PictureTel became the worlds leading provider of video-based conferencing systems. Since 1984, Dr Gaut has been a member of the board of Directors. He became president in January 1986 and Chairman in mid 1987.

Prior to joining PictureTel, Dr Gaut co-founded and managed Environmental Research and Technology, a comprehensive environmental services and consulting organisation. He served as president of that company from 1977 to 1985.

Dr Gaut holds a doctorate in planetary physics and a masters degree in meteorology (awarded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), as well as a bachelor's degree in physics (awarded by the University of California, LA). He is also a trustee at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Boston University and serves as a board member on several high-technology based public and private corporations.

Simon Smith

Non Executive Director

Simon Smith has been involved in investment management since 1987; where his experience unusually has covered quoted and unquoted companies. Before joining Nova Capital in 2005, Simon was chief executive officer of Springboard plc, a listed venture capital company. Previously Simon had been a director of Albert E Sharp where he had been responsible for starting up and building its unit trust division and managing its highly successful UK Smaller Companies Unit Trust which had net assets of £330m. Simon is an associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and a Fellow of the Securities Institute.