Aircraft Medical adds veteran

By PETER RANSCOMBE
Published on 27/07/2012 00:00

MEDICAL device maker Aircraft Medical yesterday appointed life science industry veteran Charles Spicer to sit on its board as a non-executive director.

Spicer, who has acted as a senior adviser to the Fife-based company since 2009, spent nearly 20 years as an investment banker, leading the healthcare corporate finance teams at first Nomura International and later Numis Securities.

He was previously the chief executive of MDY Healthcare, an investment vehicle quoted on the Alternative Investment Market that focused on medical technology.

Spicer is currently on the boards of Stanmore Implants, a privately-owned orthopaedic company, and Ark Therapeutics, a London-listed gene-based medicine outfit.

Aircraft Medical chief executive Matt McGrath said: “Charles is well respected in both the healthcare and the investment communities and is a strong
addition to the board.

“He has a strong track record of working with growth businesses in the medical technology sector and his financial and business experience will be of significant value as we continue to build market share and look for new opportunities to develop the business.”

Spicer has previously advised other life science companies, including Dundee-based medical testing kit maker Axis-Shield.

Aircraft Medical, which makes devices that help doctors put breathing tubes down patients’ throats, had been tipped to float on Aim in 2006, before the credit crunch, by its then chairman John Pool.

In February, Scotland on Sunday revealed the firm had sealed a $3.3 million (£2.1m) funding deal with Clydesdale Bank.