Board of Directors

Mr Soukup is the founder and Executive Chairman of Thalassa Holdings Ltd. Since the Company’s admission to AIM in 2008 and move up to the Main Market in 2019, Mr Soukup has led the Company’s growth through strategic investment and timely exits. Thalassa acquired WGP Group Ltd in November 2011, while the assets of GO Science Ltd were acquired out of administration in 2013, since renamed Autonomous Robotics Limited. In 2017, Mr Soukup led the sale of the business and assets of WGP Group Ltd to FairfieldNodal, which completed on 1 January 2018. Mr Soukup has over 35 years of investment experience. Having worked in investment banking for 10 years (1984-1994), latterly with Bear Stearns as managing director in charge of the company’s non-US equity business, Mr Soukup set up his own investment management business in 1994. Acquisitor plc, a company of which Mr Soukup was a director, was admitted to trading on AIM in January 2000. In 2002, 90 per cent. of the assets of Acquisitor Plc were moved to Acquisitor Holdings Ltd (Bermuda) and Acquisitor Plc was left as an investing company which then acquired Tinopolis Plc, a leading UK independent TV production company. In 2006, Acquisitor Holdings Limited (Bermuda) merged with New York Holdings Ltd. and Baltimore Plc. Shortly thereafter, the combined group was acquired by Oryx International Limited, a Guernsey incorporated investment company.

Mr Edwards is a qualified solicitor and has SMF 3 Executive Director approved status with the UK Financial Conduct Authority. As a former partner at international law firm Pinsent Masons LLP (which he left 30 April 2017), Mr Edwards’ expertise is in corporate legal matters, but he also has extensive experience as an adviser to boards and CEOs at a range of public, private and entrepreneurial companies on their strategy and wider business and commercial issues. He has considerable international experience, particularly in China, the Middle East and the EU where he was instrumental in expanding Pinsent Masons’ offices in continental Europe and facilitating business development between its Asian, Middle Eastern and European office.

Mr Edwards has significant public markets experience and is Chairman of Honye Financial Services Limited and Senior Independent Director of Alina Holdings plc (previously known as The Local Shopping REIT plc), which are both quoted on the London Stock Exchange. He also brings significant AIM experience to the Board, having acted on the AIM Disciplinary and Appeals Committee until 2017, and he currently serves as Non-Executive Director of AIM quoted Various Eateries plc, Cornerstone FS plc and Chairman of Nightcap plc.