European credit investment manager Avoca Capital has appointed Lord James Blyth to its board as a non-executive director.
Blyth (pictured) was formerly chairman of Diageo, a position he held for eight years to June 2008. He was formerly chief executive and then chairman of The Boots Company.
He has held several leadership roles, including chief executive of the Plessey Company and head of defence sales at the UK Ministry of Defence. He has held a significant number of non-executive positions with public and private companies in the US and UK over the last 30 years. He remains a non-executive director of Anixter and a senior advisor to Greenhill & Co.
Dónal Daly, chairman of Avoca, says: “James has an extraordinary wealth of international commercial and governance experience. We are delighted to have him join the Avoca team. James joins us at a time when our inflows are strong and there is an unprecedented set of opportunities for investors in European credit. We look forward to his contribution and advice.”
Lord Blyth says: “I am delighted to join Avoca’s board. The depth and focus on investment excellence within Avoca is exceptional. I look forward to working with the Avoca leadership team and contributing to the firm’s governance and strategic development over the coming years.”
Blyth joins Darren Carter, former chief executive of KBC Financial Product and current non-executive chairman of Peel Hunt, as non-executive directors of the Avoca board.
