Meet the Team

Our team has over 200 years experience between them in corporate finance, commercial strategy and running and growing businesses of all sizes and stages. Our backgrounds come from various industries, media and finance and with direct experience as business founders.

Robin Rowland Hill

CEO & Founder

After his first degree, Robin went to Cranfield School of Management before starting in business, where he led growth in a number of businesses at a senior level, principally in technology and media including two he founded. He is today a highly versatile, commercially experienced strategy and investment professional with international experience. His clarity as founding entrepreneur, investor and professional advisor is invaluable in advising others and was instrumental in founding Ruffena Capital.

Robin Rowland Hill

Simon Heywood

Director, Head of Human Capital

Simon has been involved in a range of successful Healthtech related fund-raisings some of which have progressed to flotations or trade sales. He also gets involved in other sectors, drawing on experience in fund-raising for a wide range of growing enterprises as well as a background in applications of AI, especially natural language and the engineering and development of defence systems. Although technology applied commercially in new ways can be very interesting and engaging, it is the truthful, clear-eyed assessment of opportunity by both entrepreneur and investor which inspires Simon's work at Ruffena

Simon Heywood

Alex Stemler

Director, Head of Origination

Alex leads the Origination team at Ruffena. He started his career in management consulting focusing on technology enabled transformation and strategy in the consumer, retail and supply chain sector. Spending time at IBM, boutique consulting firms and working on a freelance basis, Alex has advised businesses in the UK, Europe and the US. Most recently Alex co-founded Sparkbox.ai, an award-winning, venture backed retail SaaS business. An entrepreneur at heart, working with other passionate and talented entrepreneurs and helping them succeed inspires Alex's work at Ruffena. Alex holds the Investment Management Certificate qualification.

Alex Stemler

Jonathan Hill

Head of Investor Relations

With an educational background in Business Management and Consulting and a professional background in Corporate Finance, Jonathan joined Ruffena in 2017 and manages Ruffena Capital’s Investor Relations team.

Jonathan Hill

Maarten van den Belt

Head of European Office

Maarten is an experienced international finance professional, having worked in multiple roles from Netherlands to the UK, Central & Eastern Europe and the Far East. In recent years he has focused on Fintech opportunities and since early 2018, Maarten runs the European office for Ruffena Capital.

Maarten van den Belt

Marilyn Stemler

Associate

Marilyn joined Ruffena in January 2019. Her background is in Retail organisation and systems, budgeting, supply chain and management and she began her career with Marks & Spencer, working within other retailers before joining IBM as a management consultant. Following this, she set up her own consulting business working with retailers in UK and Europe advising on their sales and profitability strategies through improved processes, systems and organisational structures.

Marilyn Stemler

Richard Clevely

Associate

Richard started his career in management consultancy working for Bain & Co. He then moved into corporate finance specialising in M&A. As well as working for “boutique” operations, he also worked in the M&A department at the Allied Trust Bank, later to become Investec. Before being involved with Ruffena, he was engaged by a UK-based investment fund to initiate and oversee investments in the Media sector, particularly the British music industry. Richard is also a director of a small music publishing company based in France.

TEAM MEMBER

Work with us

We are always interested in hearing from like minded individuals interested in joining the team.

Robin Rowland Hill

Robin Rowland Hill

CEO & Founder

After his first degree, Robin went to Cranfield School of Management before starting in business, where he led growth in a number of businesses at a senior level, principally in technology and media including two he founded. He is today a highly versatile, commercially experienced strategy and investment professional with international experience. His clarity as founding entrepreneur, investor and professional advisor is invaluable in advising others and was instrumental in founding Ruffena Capital.

Simon Heywood

Simon Heywood

Director, Head of Human Capital

Simon has been involved in a range of successful Healthtech related fund-raisings some of which have progressed to flotations or trade sales. He also gets involved in other sectors, drawing on experience in fund-raising for a wide range of growing enterprises as well as a background in applications of AI, especially natural language and the engineering and development of defence systems. Although technology applied commercially in new ways can be very interesting and engaging, it is the truthful, clear-eyed assessment of opportunity by both entrepreneur and investor which inspires Simon's work at Ruffena

Alex Stemler

Alex Stemler

Director, Head of Origination

Alex leads the Origination team at Ruffena. He started his career in management consulting focusing on technology enabled transformation and strategy in the consumer, retail and supply chain sector. Spending time at IBM, boutique consulting firms and working on a freelance basis, Alex has advised businesses in the UK, Europe and the US. Most recently Alex co-founded Sparkbox.ai, an award-winning, venture backed retail SaaS business. An entrepreneur at heart, working with other passionate and talented entrepreneurs and helping them succeed inspires Alex's work at Ruffena. Alex holds the Investment Management Certificate qualification.

Jonathan Hill

Jonathan Hill

Head of Investor Relations

With an educational background in Business Management and Consulting and a professional background in Corporate Finance, Jonathan joined Ruffena in 2017 and manages Ruffena Capital’s Investor Relations team.

Maarten van den Belt

Maarten van den Belt

Head of European Office

Maarten is an experienced international finance professional, having worked in multiple roles from Netherlands to the UK, Central & Eastern Europe and the Far East. In recent years he has focused on Fintech opportunities and since early 2018, Maarten runs the European office for Ruffena Capital.

Marilyn Stemler

Marilyn Stemler

Associate

Marilyn joined Ruffena in January 2019. Her background is in Retail organisation and systems, budgeting, supply chain and management and she began her career with Marks & Spencer, working within other retailers before joining IBM as a management consultant. Following this, she set up her own consulting business working with retailers in UK and Europe advising on their sales and profitability strategies through improved processes, systems and organisational structures.

Marilyn Stemler

Marilyn Stemler

Associate

Marilyn joined Ruffena in January 2019. Her background is in Retail organisation and systems, budgeting, supply chain and management and she began her career with Marks & Spencer, working within other retailers before joining IBM as a management consultant. Following this, she set up her own consulting business working with retailers in UK and Europe advising on their sales and profitability strategies through improved processes, systems and organisational structures.

TEAM MEMBER

Richard Clevely

Associate

Richard started his career in management consultancy working for Bain & Co. He then moved into corporate finance specialising in M&A. As well as working for “boutique” operations, he also worked in the M&A department at the Allied Trust Bank, later to become Investec. Before being involved with Ruffena, he was engaged by a UK-based investment fund to initiate and oversee investments in the Media sector, particularly the British music industry. Richard is also a director of a small music publishing company based in France.