Ingenious Reviews

- A single shareholder owner by HNW individual. Perhaps was once involved in the company however hardly seen these days and feels like he has left a sinking ship. Due to a single shareholder the CEO is more like a puppet than anything else and micro manages every detail from individual transactions to investor communications. - There is a distinct lack of trust in the company with the senior team filtering information to the rest of the company. A strong inability to answer straight questions and promises often left unfilled. Has created a feeling of disdain between those that lead and those that do. - Salaries are 25% under market value (independent analysis) however used to be supported by significant bonuses. The company has however made a loss for the last two years with no sign that it is likely to change in the next few years. - Company plays on its once great reputation however has sat on its laurels for too long and is now significantly behind its competitors and unwilling to change. - Senior management take too long to make any decision meaning the company continues to loose both money and reputation. - Senior team are too interested in maintaining their large salaries as they approach retirement age than take a risk to revitalise the company for future generations. In particular the department heads will say one thing to their team and another to the CEO often selling out their team to make sure they are seen to align with the CEO. COVID-19 - Company was reluctant to send employees home for remote working. - No history of remote working in the company due to lack of trust by management. - Further evidenced by the fact we still use desktop machines rather than laptops.

Significant headcount reduction in last two years - 240 FTE to 80 FTE Disregard for investors - This includes telling the infrastructure team they’re all being made redundant whilst expecting them to sell a significant portfolio of assets. I believe this to be in violation of the businesses fiduciary duty (red flag for investors) Opaque bonus scheme - although one hasn’t been paid the most staff in two years No long term incentives - no LTIP or any industry standard way of tying in key personnel to the business (red flag for investors) Poor pension scheme - it is the government bare minimum (3% of earnings up to £45k p.a.) Heavily loss making - (£7m) in 2019 No clear strategy or vision - no ability to execute on any new product launch or willingness to invest to grow. The Senior team expect new businesses to generate profit immediately whilst baring little risk Cronyism - when the infrastructure division was wound up the board retained an executive with no experience in the industry to oversee the remaining investments (red flag for investors) Inhuman - the company furloughed some employees during lockdown on <40% of their base salaries despite an owner with the a net worth >£400m. Meanwhile, Senior Management continued to receive >80% of their salary No diversity at board level - board has only every had one female member and no BAME members. This can’t be attributed to a lack of talent Family Office structure - the firm is entirely owned by Patrick McKenna and he therefore makes the final decision on every investment or strategy despite a limited involvement in the business day to day Poor risk management - up till recently there was no Senior Compliance Manager with the CEO also acting at COO and CRO COVID - the business made ~40% of employees redundant. Their was no enhanced payout. The infrastructure team were heavily mistreated against the best interests of investors. There was no support given in helping employees find new jobs. Senior Management did not have the decency to thank employees one-on-one for their hard work. Employees were made redundant in June despite furlough remaining in place till October