Mark Florman
Encyclopedia
Mark Florman is a British businessman. He is a co-founder and former CEO of Maizels, Westerberg & Co.
and Political Science in 1981.
He joined The Northern Trust Bank, Chicago, where he co-founded the interest rate swap
business in America and worked in corporate banking, US T-Bills and money & capital markets. From the mid-1980s as a Director of County Bank and then a Partner of Enskilda Securities he advised on corporate restructurings, M&A and equity capital markets. In 1991, he worked on the acquisition of Scandinavian Bank for Enskilda and co-founded SEB Capital Markets in the same year.
In 1992, Florman was co-founder and later CEO of Maizels, Westerberg & Co.
, which became a leading independent firm in M&A and corporate restructurings, advising on Scandinavia’s largest corporate rescue (Kooperativa Förbundet) and the largest corporate breakup in Europe (Procordia, creating Swedish Match
and Pharmacia
). MW & Co. pioneered Public Private Partnerships in the Nordic countries, advising state entities and governments. MW & Co. established advisory businesses in shipping and structured finance (e.g. Hambro Maizels Westerberg, with Hambros Bank) and in principal investing. The firm won a number of awards for its advisory work. MW& Co. was ranked No. 1 amongst independent European corporate finance houses by IFR in both 1998 and 1999.
In July 1999, he was named as one of London’s top 10 Rain Makers by the Sunday Business
newspaper. Florman sold MW & Co. in 2000 to create MNB Maizels and then ArosMaizels (following the merger of six investment banking entities across six countries) which became the largest investment banking group in the Nordic region.
From 2001-2008 he was Senior Principal with the European private equity firm Doughty Hanson. He served as Vice Chairman and later Chairman of LM Glasfiber
for a number of years, the world's leading manufacturer of blades for wind turbines, expanding manufacturing into Asia, Europe and North America.
In 2009, Florman co-founded 8Miles, the African private equity
initiative with Sir Bob Geldof
and Kofi Anan. He has co-founded a number of businesses in the media, transport and publishing sectors, including the UK logistics business eCourier. He has also served as a member of the EASD (Belgium) and APCIMS (UK) Corporate Governance Committees, introducing new models of corporate governance
.
In January 2011, he was announced as the new head of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association.
in 2004, a UK think tank regarding social justice and poverty. He also founded Build a School, in Africa, in 2002, completing the building so far of 115 primary schools across East Africa.
He is a supporter of social venture capital and puts forward a general case that NGOs should operate in accordance with sound business principles, and must be able to demonstrate a clear investment case for everything they do. He is on the board of Build Africa, the CSJ and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, is an Ambassador of the Royal Albert Hall
, and has been active in politics
, advising the UK Conservative Party on strategy and financing (and served as Deputy Treasurer from 2002–2007).
Maizels, Westerberg & Co.
Maizels, Westerberg & Co. was a leading independent investment banking firm, specialising in major corporate finance transactions in the Nordic countries...
Professional background
Florman graduated from the London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Political Science in 1981.
He joined The Northern Trust Bank, Chicago, where he co-founded the interest rate swap
Interest rate swap
An interest rate swap is a popular and highly liquid financial derivative instrument in which two parties agree to exchange interest rate cash flows, based on a specified notional amount from a fixed rate to a floating rate or from one floating rate to another...
business in America and worked in corporate banking, US T-Bills and money & capital markets. From the mid-1980s as a Director of County Bank and then a Partner of Enskilda Securities he advised on corporate restructurings, M&A and equity capital markets. In 1991, he worked on the acquisition of Scandinavian Bank for Enskilda and co-founded SEB Capital Markets in the same year.
In 1992, Florman was co-founder and later CEO of Maizels, Westerberg & Co.
Maizels, Westerberg & Co.
Maizels, Westerberg & Co. was a leading independent investment banking firm, specialising in major corporate finance transactions in the Nordic countries...
, which became a leading independent firm in M&A and corporate restructurings, advising on Scandinavia’s largest corporate rescue (Kooperativa Förbundet) and the largest corporate breakup in Europe (Procordia, creating Swedish Match
Swedish Match
Swedish Match is a Swedish company based in Stockholm that makes snus, tobacco, cigars , Red Man Chewing Tobacco, dipping tobacco, matches and lighters. It was founded as Svenska Tändsticksaktiebolaget by Ivar Kreuger in 1917 in Jönköping...
and Pharmacia
Pharmacia
Pharmacia was a pharmaceutical and biotechnological company in Sweden.-History:Pharmacia was founded in 1911 in Stockholm, Sweden by pharmacist Gustav Felix Grönfeldt at the Elgen Pharmacy. The company is named after the Greek word φαρμακεία, transliterated pharmakeia, which means 'sorcery'...
). MW & Co. pioneered Public Private Partnerships in the Nordic countries, advising state entities and governments. MW & Co. established advisory businesses in shipping and structured finance (e.g. Hambro Maizels Westerberg, with Hambros Bank) and in principal investing. The firm won a number of awards for its advisory work. MW& Co. was ranked No. 1 amongst independent European corporate finance houses by IFR in both 1998 and 1999.
In July 1999, he was named as one of London’s top 10 Rain Makers by the Sunday Business
Sunday Business
Sunday Business was a national Sunday broadsheet financial newspaper published in the United Kingdom, which ran from 1996 to 2006, when it was turned into a magazine called The Business....
newspaper. Florman sold MW & Co. in 2000 to create MNB Maizels and then ArosMaizels (following the merger of six investment banking entities across six countries) which became the largest investment banking group in the Nordic region.
From 2001-2008 he was Senior Principal with the European private equity firm Doughty Hanson. He served as Vice Chairman and later Chairman of LM Glasfiber
LM Glasfiber
LM Wind Power is the largest manufacturer of wind turbine blades in the world. LM Wind Power has manufactured more than 130,000 blades since 1978, contributing to saving nature more than 74 million tons of each year....
for a number of years, the world's leading manufacturer of blades for wind turbines, expanding manufacturing into Asia, Europe and North America.
In 2009, Florman co-founded 8Miles, the African private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
initiative with Sir Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
and Kofi Anan. He has co-founded a number of businesses in the media, transport and publishing sectors, including the UK logistics business eCourier. He has also served as a member of the EASD (Belgium) and APCIMS (UK) Corporate Governance Committees, introducing new models of corporate governance
Corporate governance
Corporate governance is a number of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions which have impact on the way a company is controlled...
.
In January 2011, he was announced as the new head of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association.
Philanthropic activities
Florman co-founded the Centre for Social JusticeCentre for Social Justice
The Centre for Social Justice is an independent, not-for-profit thinktank set up by the Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, to advance the education of the public in the subject of social justice and to promote the role of the voluntary sector...
in 2004, a UK think tank regarding social justice and poverty. He also founded Build a School, in Africa, in 2002, completing the building so far of 115 primary schools across East Africa.
He is a supporter of social venture capital and puts forward a general case that NGOs should operate in accordance with sound business principles, and must be able to demonstrate a clear investment case for everything they do. He is on the board of Build Africa, the CSJ and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, is an Ambassador of the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, and has been active in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, advising the UK Conservative Party on strategy and financing (and served as Deputy Treasurer from 2002–2007).