Eight Capital Partners plc today announced the appointment of Federico Bazzoni as Executive Chairman, Luca Giacomo Zanni, Executive Director, and Bruce Gonyea as an Independent Non-executive Director of the Company, with immediate effect.

Following the appointments, Martin Groak and Luciano Maranzana will step down as Directors of the Company. Dominic White will move into a Non-executive Director role.

Mr Bazzoni recently served as the Chief Executive Officer, Investment Banking at Vantage Capital Markets Hong Kong from 2022 to 2025. Previously, he was at CITIC Securities in Hong Kong from 2009 to 2022 as Head of International Coverage, Corporate Finance & Capital Markets, was Senior Managing Director, Head of Asia, and EMEA Capital Markets at Bear Stearns & Co from 2007 to 2009 and a Managing Director at BNP Paribas from 1997 to 2007, latterly as Head of Asian Equities.

Mr Bazzoni graduated from the University of Urbino with a Bachelor’s degree (Laurea) in Economics and Business, following which he joined W.I.Carr in London in 1989.

Mr Zanni is an experienced financial professional, having served as the Chief Financial Officer at a number of businesses with revenues of up to EUR 650 million, including at GPack SpA from 2022 to 2024, Group Chief Financial Officer at Safe SpA from 2020 to 2022, Group Chief Financial Officer at Fimer SpA from 2016 to 2020, and was employed at Socotherm Espana SA from 2004 to 2015, spending 2013 to 2015 as the Chief Financial Officer, including a period from 2011 to 2012 as a director at Socotherm.

Mr Zanni graduated from Bocconi University, Milan in 2004 with a BBus (Business Administration) and holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi School of Management.

Mr Gonyea currently serves as a member of the investment committee at Storie Co LLC since 2022. Additionally, he has been an Assistant Professor of Finance and Management at Marian University, Indiana since 2015, and the founder and director of several personal consultancy and investment vehicles in the USA since 2021, in particular, Harvest Moon Capital LLC since 2011. Previously, he had served as Head of Research (Technology) at Societe Generale from 2004 to 2008 and a portfolio manager at Caveco Ltd (forerunner of GaveKal Group) from 2000 to 2004.

Mr Gonyea graduated in 1989 from Christian Brothers University, Tennessee with a BSc in Economics & Finance, followed by an MBA in 1991 from Boston University, Questrom School of Business. He commenced his career at Daewoo Securities from 1991 to 1996, subsequently moving to BNP Paribas from 1996 to 2001.

Dominic White, Non-executive Director of the Company, said:

“As announced with our interim results, we set out our intention to strengthen and expand the capabilities of the Board and senior management team. I’m pleased we can confirm this today. It marks an important step forward for the Company – one that we believe will unlock new partnerships, broaden our transaction pipeline, and attract additional capital. Federico, Luca, and Bruce bring proven track records of success in financial services across multiple business sectors, and we are delighted to hand them the baton and support them fully as they lead the business into this exciting next phase of growth.”