When women lead: the small-caps with women at the helm

This week, we celebrate the achievements of women in business. Mark Watson-Mitchell kicks off with four of his top-performing stock profiles. 

Just looking down my list of profiles over the last couple of years contributing for Master Investor, four of my star performers over the last year are run by ladies. 

I continue to follow their respective companies very closely and have been truly delighted with the performance of both the companies and their share prices since my profiles were published.

Nicola Foulston                   RBG Holdings        + 26% in one month

Wendy Marshall                 Totally                      + 272% in eleven months

Vin Murria                            M&C Saatchi          + 223% in nine months

Dr Helene Roberts             Robinson                + 275% in ten months

Nicola Foulston      

RBG Holdings (LON:RBGP) 

05.02.21 @ 80p TP 100p* 

now 101p +26%

Nicola “Nicky” Foulston has had a long, successful business career. From 1990, she was CEO of the Brands Hatch Leisure Group. Initially valued at £6m, she led transformational changes to its operations and financial management over the next six years. 

In 1996, Brands Hatch was floated on the LSE and sold three years later to Interpublic for $195m. At the time Brands Hatch was the largest organiser and promoter of motorsport in Europe.  

She was named Veuve Clicquot “Business Woman of the Year” in 1996 and she remains the award’s youngest ever recipient at the age of 29.

After Brands Hatch, Nicky ran a family office with private equity investments in the USA and Europe, before joining Rosenblatt. From 2014 to 2018, she was a Board Member of the UK Government’s Industrial Development Advisory Board.

Nicky took over the commercial management of the pioneering law firm, Rosenblatt in September 2016. In May 2018, it was listed on AIM raising more than £40m. Following the acquisition of boutique M&A firm, Convex Capital in September 2019, the group was renamed RBG Holdings plc. 

Nicky is the CEO of RBG Holdings. 

Arden Partners currently have a ‘buy’ recommendation out for the group’s shares, with a price objective of 145p.

Vin Murria    

M&C Saatchi (LON:SAA)  

11.05.20 @ 64p 

now 143p +223%

M&C Saatchi Group is a global network of communications businesses founded in 1995. Its operations span 23 countries and over 40 agencies, with 2,500 employees around the world.

Vin was appointed as a non-executive director and Deputy Chair with effect from 3 March 2021. 

Formerly Chief Executive Officer of Computer Software Group plc from 2002 until 2007, she subsequently founded and was Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Computer Software Group plc from 2008 until 2015. 

She was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to the digital economy. 

She is a non-executive director of Softcat plc and Bunzl plc.

Vin last year built up a 12.45% stake in the Saatchi equity and is the group’s largest shareholder.

A month ago, Liberum Capital was appointed joint broker to the company, alongside Numis Securities.

Dr Helene Roberts

Robinson (LON:RBN) 

02.04.20 @ 55.5p TP 80p* 

now 152.5p + 275%

Robinson is a leading provider of innovative custom moulded plastic and rigid paperboard packaging.

Helene joined the board in November 2019 and her deep understanding and experience of plastics packaging – which includes materials, product design and innovation, end-to-end business improvement and the Plastics Circular Economy, combined with her obvious leadership talent, that gave the group’s board great confidence that she could lead Robinson on the next phase of its journey.

Helene has extensive knowledge of sustainable materials technology, global sales, marketing and innovation and people leadership. She has a degree in Materials Engineering and a PhD in Polymer Engineering.

Helene’s career included working with M&S, Benson Box, Graphic Packaging International, and she was a Managing Director at Klockner Pentaplast, responsible for the UK, Ireland and Australian business across four sites, a position she took over after a period as Director of Global Marketing and Innovation. 

Robinson will be reporting its final results for the year to end-December 2020 on Thursday 25 March.

Wendy Lawrence   

Totally (LON:TLY)  

12.03.20 @ 12p TP 18p*  

now 32.6p +272%

Totally addresses the challenges of increased demand on healthcare services by delivering high-quality planned, urgent and insourcing healthcare across the UK and Ireland.

Wendy Lawrence worked with the NHS for over 20 years, with the last 12 years being director level posts. Having previously worked for BUPA Health Dialog, leading the Client Delivery Team on a range of projects. 

Previously, Wendy ran her own company, working closely with numerous NHS and social care organisations across England, Wales and Scotland supporting delivery of many complex change agendas.

During Wendy’s NHS career she was Chief Executive of three large Primary Care Trusts. 

Wendy has been Chief Executive Officer of Totally since May 2013.

The group’s trading year closes at the end of this month, so we may anticipate a trading update before the end of April.

(Asterisk* denotes that Target Prices have been attained since the profile publication.)

For further details on the above four companies please refer to previous articles on the Master Investor website.