Bio

Steve Smith is the Chairman of Tianguis Limited. He is also the President of Pochteca Corporation (USA) as well as a Director and the consulting practice leader of Calpulli Inc (USA). Both Tianguis Limited and its sister companies are involved in venture activities. Calpulli is focused on CEO advisory activities. Mr. Smith is also active in the European Venture Capital Association (EVCA). Through interests in various international companies Mr. Smith has advised and invested in a number of companies involved in the chemical industry worldwide. Mr. Smith applies a hands-on management approach to Tianguis Limited investee companies through periods of change, restructuring and growth. In keeping with this practice Mr. Smith was appointed Chairman of European Colour plc in August 2003 after a Tianguis Limited advised investor became the largest shareholder in the company. European Colour is a London Stock Exchange quoted company producing specialty organic pigments for the world market. As there is no group Managing Director, Mr. Smith will act as group chief executive as well until European Colour is back on a profitable growth track. In 2003 Tianguis Limited advised a client on the acquisition of White River Nahcolite Minerals LLC from IMC Global Inc. As a follow-up to that work, Calpulli consulted for the new entity, Natural Soda Inc. on organisational and business structure issues. Mr. Smith, through Calpulli, joined the Board as an independent Director for a 14 month period. Previously Mr. Smith was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Erikem Luxembourg SA (1996-2002) and its operating company, Finnish Chemicals Oy. Finnish Chemicals (now owned by Kemira Oyj) is a Finnish based group producing products and delivering services for the international pulp and paper industry. The company's other activities are a fine chemicals business and a regional electrochemical activity. Earlier Mr. Smith was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian based Penrice Group (1989-1995) and the Brunner Mond Group of companies based in the UK (1991-1995). These companies were engaged in the manufacture and supply of soda ash and related products throughout the world from manufacturing bases in Australia, England and Kenya. In the past Tianguis Limited advised funds that invested in Finnish Chemicals and held strong equity positions in both the Penrice Group and the Brunner Mond Group. As chairman of Tianguis Limited Mr. Smith shapes the company's policies in this area. Earlier involvements include a three-year period (1982-1985) as l'Amministratore Delegato (Managing Director and Chief Executive) of Farmoplant S.p.A. based in Milan. This agricultural life sciences company was a part of the Montedison Group with worldwide sales and marketing. The company engaged in the basic R&D and synthesis of active ingredients and intermediates and formulation of finished products. Steve Smith was hired to turn Farmoplant around. Under his able stewardship the company went from deep red to a comfortable breakeven point. During his earlier career Steve Smith was Vice President and General Manager - International Division for US based Drew Chemical Corporation (1981-1982). Drew (now owned by Ashland Oil) is a specialty water treatment service company serving industrial and marine markets. Prior to this Mr. Smith spent ten years with Allied Chemical (now Honeywell Inc) working primarily in the specialty and performance chemical areas. His last position here was as Director of Acquisitions developing and implementing a targeted acquisition program in water treatment, agricultural biotechnology, electronics and catalysts. He also actively worked on major corporate expansion opportunities. During his career at Allied, he was also responsible for Latin American Operations, business development outside the USA and Canada and all chemical operations outside the USA and Canada. Steve Smith, a 1967 graduate of Case Institute of Technology (Cleveland OH, USA), began his lengthy and highly successful career at Airco Inc (British Oxygen) (1967-1971) in New York working in planning, mergers and acquisitions, international finance and international development. Mr. Smith is also a member of the Society of the Chemical Industry (SCI) and the American Chemical Society (ACS). In past years he has served on the Boards of national and regional industry groups in Europe and Australia. He is currently on the board of Eurocolour, the European colours industry association, and the small and medium size industry board (ABM) of CEFIC, the European chemical industry association. Mr. Smith is a citizen of the UK and the US and resident in England.