Star Sport

Top financier bolsters Saints board of directors

By Andrew Kilmurray

9:12am Thursday 18th March 2010

A HIGHLY successful Singapore-based financier is one of two new directors recruited to Saints’ board as the club approaches one of the most pivotal periods in its proud history.

Mike Coleman, a long-standing Saints supporter who works and lives in Singapore, has joined the Knowsley Road boardroom, it was confirmed this week.

The rugby league club’s chairman Eamonn McManus says the move represents a “major strengthening of the board.”

Coleman and Fergus Lyons, another vastly experienced financial operator to be appointed to the board this week, have both invested in the club, though the amounts have not been disclosed.

Both men attended a board meeting held at Saints’ ground on Tuesday.

Coleman, 49, who originates from St Helens and had family connections with the Vincent ice cream business, has worked in Singapore for 25 years, founded Aisling Analytics, a commodities-focused fund management group.

According to business reports, Coleman is a key player in commodity fund investments.

In February Bloomsberg reported, Aisling Analytics is managing a $1.6billion Merchant Commodity Fund and plans to start a $300million equity hedge fund.

Coleman also has business premises in Zurich and is known to attend Saints fixtures while on visits to Europe.

Speaking to the Star, Coleman, whose family still live locally, said: “I was introduced to Eamonn about two years ago and the opportunity arose last year for me to take some shares in the club.

“I have always been fortunate with business, coming home two or three times a year for fixtures and now I’m very pleased to join the board at what is a very exciting time in the history of the club.”

Meanwhile, Lyons, formerly a senior banker, who is the group commercial director of Manchester-based pension and stockbroker company AJ Bell, has also joined the board.

The company’ s founder, Andy Bell, is an existing director at Saints.

The appointments come at a crucial time for Saints. The development of a new stadium is scheduled to begin later in the spring and later this year the club will leave Knowsley Road, their home of 120 years.

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