Director-Financial affairs, Banking, Industry Partnerships
(A Phd in color physics, then to the oil and gas industry and on to communications.)
Bob was originally trained and educated in Textile Technology and Color Physics and started his working life as a Chemist at Caultaulds a then leading UK textile manufacturer. His career path soon changed and he joined Unilever as Sales Manager for Spanish and Portuguese speaking nations. However, not being satisfied working for others he started his own business selling chemicals in Latin America. In the early 1980’s he got involved with a UK group of individuals with oil and gas assets in West Texas. He took control of the business and the company was floated on The London Stock Exchange and subsequently sold. Immediately thereafter Bob founded another oil and gas business helped by shareholders from the first venture. The company grew rapidly through acquisitions and organic growth and was listed on The London Exchange in 1980. Bob recognized the importance of mobile communications and started to consolidate SMR (Special Mobilized Radio) operators in the SW United States. The company became the second largest, to Nextel, operator in the USA and was spun out from the parent company and listed on Nasdaq in 1993. In 1994 Bob moved on and with over $50 million of equity and debt commitments started consolidating communications towers. The business grew rapidly and in 1998 was listed on Nasdaq. Bob raised over $2.5 billion in debt and equity for the business and during is tenure completed in excess of 300 acquisitions. Throughout his career, Bob has negotiated and managed credits with large institutional consortiums, negotiated asset purchases with large institutions and led 4 primary offerings along with various secondary offerings of equities and other securities.