Meet the team
Aymen Mekni – Group CEO
A reliable, passionate recruitment professional with experience in strategically evolving businesses and creating a culture of excellence to develop high performing teams. With expertise in the recruitment industry and a clear goal of providing effective staffing solutions to a number of industries.
Specialities Include:
• Financial planning, analysis and target delivery.
• Business start-up and growth through new opportunities realisation.
• Developing high performing teams and creating a culture of excellence through mentoring, coaching
and leadership.
• Revenue improvement and generation.
Aymen manages the overall Fortes Partners operation, developing and approving strategies to meet investor, client and customer needs.
Steve Clark – Group Chairman
Steve has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He founded Omni Partners in 2004. Formerly the co-head of international proprietary equity trading for Nomura International, Steve set up and managed a highly profitable proprietary trading book. Prior to that, he managed international equity trading at both NatWest Markets and Shearson Lehman.
Steve ensures that Fortes invests wisely, identifying and driving the overall strategy for the group.
Paul Draycott – Group CCO
Paul has over 30 years experience in the payments and financial services industries, across both B2B & B2C markets, in both PLC and private equity worlds. He has held executive leadership positions across the UK and Europe, including with Lloyds, First Data, Fleetcor & WEX, and established his strategic consultancy firm in 2015. He has successfully grown businesses, both organically and via acquisitions, ranging form £15m to £3bn revenue.
Chris Williamson – Group FD
Chris Williamson is a Finance Director with broad experience in fast growth companies. Chris qualified as an accountant in 2004 while on the RBS Corporate Banking and Financial Markets graduate scheme and since then has held leadership roles in Financial Services and Business Services firms including Insight Investment, Quilter and Fidelity. Chris is passionate about delivering a first class finance function for the Fortes group which efficiently supports all its staff.