The Chairman, Bruce Rowan, has managed the Company since January 2002. Bruce has a wealth of experience over many years of investing primarily in small company new issues and pre-IPO opportunities in the natural resources and mineral exploration sectors. Bruce is supported by Tony Scutt, non-executive director, and by John Watkins, finance director and company secretary. Tony is an experienced private investor and investment analyst as well as a director of three investee companies; Tony is a qualified Chartered Secretary, a Certified Internal Auditor with the US Institute of Internal Auditors and spent 35 years with Shell. John has been in practice as a Chartered Accountant since 1972, including periods in the City with the accountancy firms of Neville Russell and Ernst & Young. In addition, he is a non-executive director of five Starvest investee companies.

Since Western Selection P.L.C. is an investment company, it has no employees and out-sources all finance, administration and company secretarial tasks to City Group P.L.C., a company in which it has a 48.6% interest. Western holds substantial stakes in a number of U.K. small-cap growth companies (the strategic portfolio), and maintains a portfolio of U.K. and international blue-chip companies (the general portfolio) to smooth out the performance of small-cap holdings.The directors of Western believe that the company's strategic portfolio has the greatest potential for growth. As the risk associated with these strategic investments is correspondingly greater, the company maintains a general portfolio to generate an increasing income stream, covering overheads and the dividend payment. The composition of the general portfolio is designed to generate a more predictable income stream than that of the strategic portfolio. The general portfolio comprises holdings in blue-chip companies, with investment concentrated in the industry sectors perceived as having the greatest potential for long-term growth. Therefore although the general portfolio can be considered lower risk, via this sector-based or "themed" investment strategy, it has the potential to generate above average returns.

Credit Solutions was established in 2003. Credit Solutions helps consumers dig their way out of debt. One of North America's largest for-profit debt management companies, Credit Solutions offers programs that enable people to lower their monthy bills and, in many cases, get out of debt in three years or less. It also offers a built-in savings plan to help families reach their long-term financial goals, with no home ownership or credit check required. Credit Solutions has more than $1.7 billion of unsecured debt under management for about 80,000 active clients.

TRS was founded in 1939. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Illinois is a public pension benefit plan that provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits for Illinois public school teachers, administrators, and personnel. Funded by contributions from members, employers, and the State of Illinois, as well as by investment income, TRS manages approximately $30 billion in assets. The system serves more than 350,000 members from all public schools except those in the city of Chicago. TRS is one of five state-funded retirement systems; the others are the State Universities Retirement System, the State Board of Investments, the State Employees' Retirement System, and the Judges Retirement System.

Everett Smith Group owns Eagle Ottawa Leather, which makes upholstery leather for major carmakers. Other Everett Smith portfolio companies include OEM Worldwide, which manufactures electronic assemblies for medical and industrial applications, and Maysteel, which makes power distribution equipment and sheet metal enclosures for the utility industry. Everett Smith typically invests up to $75 million per transaction and maintains a longterm buy-and-hold philosophy. Dickten Masch Plastics, which makes thermoplastic products for cars and hand tools, and Trostel, which makes rubber components rounds out Everett Smith's portfolio.

Remgro Limited (Remgro) is a South African investment holding company. Remgro Company’s interests consist mainly of investments in banking and financial services, printing and packaging, glass products, medical services, mining, petroleum products, food, wine and spirits, media, technology and various other trade mark products. Remgro Company’s activities are concentrated on the management of investments and the provision of support rather than on being involved in the day-to-day management of business units of investees. Remgro Company has eight divisions: tobacco interests, financial services, industrial interests, mining interests, corporate and other, media interests, technology interests and other.

Dollar Financial Corp. provides retail financial services to unbanked and under-banked consumers. Dollar Financial Corp. offers cash checking, single-payment consumer loans, longer-term installment loans, electronic tax filing, bill payment, foreign currency exchange, pawnbroking, debit cards and gift cards, photo ID, prepaid local and long-distance phone services, gold buying services, and legal document processing. Dollar Financial Corp. provides its services through its stores, which operate under the names of Money Mart, The Money Shop, Loan Mart, Insta-Cheques, The Check Cashing Store, American Payday Loans, American Check Casher, Check Casher, Payday Loans, Cash Advance, Cash Advance USA, and We The People. As of June 30, 2009, Dollar Financial Corp. had a network of 1,206 stores, including 1,031 company-operated financial services stores and 175 franchised and agent locations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and Poland. Dollar Financial Corp., formerly known as DFG Holdings, Inc., was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

NGP Capital Resources Company was founded in 2004 and is based at Houston, Texas. It is a subsidiary of NGP Energy Capital Management. NGP Capital Resources Company is a financial services company, which invests in debt securities of small and mid-size private energy companies. It is a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (BDC). A focus area for its investments in the energy industry is domestic upstream businesses that produces, develops, acquires and explores for oil and natural gas (E&P) companies. The Company’s investments range in size from $10 million to $50 million. Its investments consist of debt instruments, including senior and subordinated loans combined in one facility, sometimes with an equity or property-based participation right component, and subordinated loans, sometimes with equity components. The Company also invests in preferred stock and other equity securities on a stand-alone basis.

In 1980, GTCR pioneered and investment thesis founded on the principle of growth through committed relationships with management partners. GTCR manages more than $8 billion in equity and mezzanine capital invested in a wide range of companies and industries. The firm principally invests in high-growth industries, including financial services and technology, healthcare, and information services and technology. Growth strategies are driven by industry dynamics and generally include a combination of acquisitions and internal growth.Capital under management is primarily provided by pension funds, endowments, and foundations. Portfolio company executives and the principals of GTCR have made significant investments in each of GTCR's funds. The firm's principals have invested in more than 100 companies, and are recognized for their ability to create value consistently throughout the investment life cycle.

Nomura Holdings is the parent company of Nomura Securities, Japan's leading investment bank and brokerage house. Nomura Holdings, Inc. performs trading, equity and bond underwriting, research, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory services. Nomura Holdings, Inc. also makes private equity and venture capital investments. Nomura's largest segment is domestic retail, which provides investment consulting and brokerage services to consumers in its home market. Nomura Holdings, Inc. asset management segment manages more than �25 trillion (more than $225 billion) on behalf of its clients. Nomura Holdings has operations in more than 30 countries. Nomura Securities International is the company's US trading and investment banking unit.

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