Alex Connock

Chief Executive, Ten Alps Plc
Co-founded Ten Alps 1999 with Bob Geldof, and listed it in 2001 on AiM. Ten Alps is a leading multimedia producer through two divisions. Content companies are Brook Lapping, Films of Record, Below the Radar, Ten Alps Asia and Blakeway, making agenda-setting TV output for BBC, Channel 4, plus online channels Teachers TV and Newton TV. Communications companies are corporate responsibility producer DBDA, plus Ten Alps Creative, Vision and Media - together a market leader in online/offline B2B and public sector contract publishing with around 500 trade titles. Several times shortlisted as Entrepreneur of the Year, Entrepreneur in Residence at INSEAD (Fontainebleau), a NESTA mentor to startup media companies and a PACT council member.  In the North-West, where he lives, regional Chairman of the Royal Television Society, Governor of Manchester Metropolitan University and Visiting Professor at Salford University. Career prior to Ten Alps in TV and Radio for Granada, BBC and Planet 24. Education: Manchester Grammar, BA from St John's College, Oxford in Politics and Economics, a Master's in in Journalism from Columbia University and MBA from INSEAD. Speaks at conferences and blogs on media entrepreneurship for Grant Thornton and Manchester Business School.  Also a photographer.

Bob Geldof

Co-founder & Non Executive Director
Born in Dublin in 1954, Geldof began his career in the media - as a journalist on Canada's premier underground rock journal, before writing for Melody Maker and New Musical Express. He returned to Dublin with a vision to set up his own rock-and-roll magazine, but got diverted into the Boomtown Rats. After a series of hits, including two UK number 1 singles, Geldof starred in the film of Pink Floyd's The Wall. He then turned his attention to the famine that was plaguing Ethiopia in 1984, and created Band Aid. The subsequent Live Aid concerts raised over £150million for famine relief. By 1992 Bob Geldof had established himself as a businessman through co-ownership of the TV producer Planet 24, which pioneered early morning television with The Big Breakfast. Planet 24 was sold to Carlton TV in 1999. Factual media producer Ten Alps (Planet spelled backwards) was founded the next day and has grown to around £80m turnover. In September 2009 Ten Alps Asia was launched, in Singapore. In 2004 Tony Blair invited Geldof to join the `Commission for Africa' and the following year the Live8 concerts were staged as a lead up to the G8 economic summit. Geldof was awarded an honorary knighthood in 1985 and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2006 and 2008. Bob has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize.  He won a BAFTA for TV Creativity, the Peabody Medal for Journalism, and two Royal Television Awards.  In recognition of his singing and song-writing  he has won three Brit Awards, five Ivor Novellos, the Mercury Prize and a Grammy.  He wrote the best-selling autobiography `Is That It?'.

Nitil Patel

Group Financial Director, CEO Content Division
Nitil has been a key member of the team from the very start of Ten Alps. He worked with Sayers Butterworth before joining TV production business Planet 24, where he worked as an accountant on productions such as the Big Breakfast. Alongside his role as FD for Ten Alps Plc, he is also CEO of Ten Alps’ content production businesses including Brook Lapping and Blakeway, Films of Record, Below the Radar, and Ten Alps' interest in Teachers’ TV. He has also played a key role in carrying through Ten Alps' largest acquisitions, such as Brook Lapping, DBDA and McMillan Scott.  

Adrian Dunleavy

Chief Executive, Ten Alps Communications Division
Adrian is Chief Executive of the Communications division of Ten Alps and is on the company’s Main Board.

Former Chief Executive of Nationwide Accident Repair Services Plc, National Tyre Services Ltd, and McMillan-Scott Plc he has also held management positions with Shell and Continental AG.

Adrian looks after Ten Alps’ publishing, media and creative services businesses and has been responsible for the rapid growth in the division’s output and its strong performance since joining Ten Alps in 2006. Units within Adrian’s portfolio include, Atalink; DBDA; Grove House; Sovereign; Ten Alps Creative; Ten Alps Media; Ten Alps Publishing; Ten Alps Vision and Ten Alps Communications Asia.

Adrian has led a number of key strategic moves for the company including a number of pivotal acquisitions and has recently spearheaded the Communications division’s launch into the Asian market.

Adrian is based in Cheshire and has a Master of Engineering from the University of Strathclyde.

Tim Hoare

Non Executive Director
An investment banker, Tim Hoare is Chief Executive of Canaccord Europe, and a board director of Canaccord Adams Plc. He also has substantial experience in the financing of media companies.

Brian Walden

Non Executive Chairman
Brian Walden is a former M.P and award winning journalist revolutionised political television programmes with his tough interviewing style on Weekend World, which he presented for many years. He was said to be Margaret Thatcher's favourite interviewer and continues to present, occasionally on BBC Radio 4. He has widespread business experience. He was a director of Central Television and is Chairman of two companies dealing with savings and investment. A winner of Aims of Industry Special Free Enterprise Award and Shell International Award. He received a BAFTA award in 1985.   He has a specialist interest in the company making programmes catering to a profession, like Teacher's Television.