Octopus Ventures, the private investor group specialising in early stage businesses valued at between GBP2m and GBP10m, is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Humphries
Octopus Ventures, the private investor group specialising in early stage businesses valued at between GBP2m and GBP10m, is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Humphries as investment director with immediate effect.
A successful entrepreneur in his own right, Humphries has spent 25 years working in both blue chip organisations and young, growing businesses.
Since 2005, he has been an adviser to and active investor in a number of early stage companies, providing guidance on business, marketing and sales strategy and operational support, in addition to the funding required for future growth.
In 1999, Humphries co-founded Opta, a successful business consultancy which grew to 40 staff with a turnover of around GBP10m before being acquired by Saic, the NYSE listed scientific, research and engineering company. As Opta’s chief operating officer and a director of the business, his responsibilities included sales and marketing, staffing and resourcing, as well as day-to-day operational management.
In 2003, Humphries oversaw the sale of Opta to Saic. Following its completion, he was vice president, Emea at Saic for two years.
Prior to founding his own business, Humphries held a number of senior positions at large international companies including chief operating officer at Liberty Communications; marketing and operations director of the JP Morgan ‘Wirefree’ Fund, a global mobile communications investment fund. He had had many other significant appointments.
Commenting on Humphries’s appointment, Alex Macpherson, chief executive, Octopus Ventures, says: ‘Paul’s track record in identifying business opportunities with strong prospects for growth makes him a considerable asset to the Octopus Ventures team. The range of skills Humphries has developed throughout his impressive 25 year career in business, combined with his insight into how to turn a small enterprise into an international organisation, will make him an invaluable mentor to the companies within our portfolio and help ensure that our investors reap healthy rewards from their investments.’
Paul Humphries says: ‘I am delighted to be joining Octopus Ventures. I have always been impressed by its approach to mentoring the companies it invests in, as well as the consistent internal rate of return delivered by its portfolio.’
