Corporate Overview & Engagement Methodology

Who are Mercurial Partners Ltd • Welcome to Mercurial Partners, founded in 2009, we are a global business

and technology consulting firm at the very heartbeat of the City of London. We provide people based consultancy services, resourcing & strategic hires.

• All assignments are undertaken in a collaborative manner across a number of industry sectors specifically Financial, Media, Communications, Energy, Utilities and Services.

• Within Mercurial delivery of the Project is paramount. Our reputation for successful delivery is based on our pragmatic approach and setting realistic expectations then applying our sensible transferable Project methodology, incorporating teamwork, achieving true stakeholder buy in and delivering true benefit identification, benefit tracking and benefit realisation.

• We provide quality consultants with the right skills, experience and profile to meet the agreed objectives – they can be engaged on a project basis, as individuals or as teams.

This exciting and unique value proposition was born out of client demand; to fill a recognised gap in the market. Positioned between the large consulting firms and volume contract agencies – We deliver appreciably more than an agency, costing considerably less than a consultancy and producing far greater return on investment and value for money than either agency or consultancy.

About Mercurial Partners

• Mercurial Partners is a people driven organisation

dedicated to serving its clients, its candidates and its

employees, building partnerships and providing the highest

standard of service. Everything we do is measured by four

key values: integrity, quality, co-operation and support.

Dedicated to understanding people’s motivations we work

closer with people than the traditional Management

Consultancy or Recruitment firms.

• Our values are clear and permeate everything we do. In the

people business, when the direction of people’s lives is

often at stake, confidence in your recruiter is paramount.

• Our reputation is vital to our growth and by protecting

everyone’s best interests we protect and grow our brand.

Our values are the embodiment of what our organisation

stands for, and are the basis for the behavior of all us.

- to maintain an unimpeachable standard of honesty and integrity in all our business relationships both inside and outside the organisation.

- to foster the highest standards of professional competence amongst our employees and for those for whom we are responsible. “What is wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it. Right is still right, even if no one else is doing it.” - William Penn

• Our culture is borne of respect for people first and foremost.

• We aim to provide a culture where everyone feels welcome,valued, and energised about the contributions they make and the opportunities that are available to them.

• Respect and dignity are uppermost in the Mercurial Partnersenvironment.

Core Offerings

IT Recruitment•Developers (C++, Java, Cobol, PL1 etc.)•Testers•Architects

Financial Market SME’s•Front Office Asset Class Specific Resource (Equities, FX, Commodities, Derivatives etc.)•Risk & Compliance Professionals•Quants, BA’s etc

Project/Programme Management•Professional Change Management Leads•Project/Programme Office Build•Project/Programme Execution

Package Implementation & Optimisation Expertise•Murex, Calypso, Sophis, Open Link, Triple Point, Summit etc.•SAP, Oracle, Autonomy etc.

Clients

• Whilst all at Mercurial Partners take great pride in our client list, it is the length and strength of the relationships that makes us most proud.

• Building long term partnerships with clients and candidates is the key to our success.

• Our personalised approach has been rewarded many times as people have moved between organisations and retained our services.

• We represent many leading firms in the City and Canary Wharf. We are developing the same close relationships with organisations in mainland Europe and New York.

• Processes are important, but individuals matter more.

Recruitment Process

Project discussed and agreed between The Client

and Mercurial Partners

Detailed candidate specification is drawn up

and agreed by both parties

The Specification is put forward to the Recruitment

Team

Candidates are shortlisted, primarily through our existing network or through referrals.

In some instances we advertise and search for the best

candidates in the market.

Candidates are contacted in the first instance to ascertain their availability and

rate or salary.

Secondly, their skills and experiences are qualified against the specification.

Where necessary, technical tests and assessments are also carried out.

The CV is submitted to the client for review.

The client will provide feedback on the CV's

submitted and interview slots will be agreed

First stage interviews to be conducted by client.

Feedback from first stage interviews received from client and second stage

interviews agreed if needed.

Based on first and/or second stage interviews, client will put an offer in writing to Mercurial

Partners.

We will then put the offer to the candidate

Mercurial Partners will agree a start date and

salary with the Candidate and the Client.

Mercurial Partners follow up with both client &

candidate to ensure start is executed

RecruitmentOur Approach• At Mercurial Partners we recognise people as the core assets of our clients’ organisations. • Our aim is simple: To provide our clients with the best quality people in the market and candidates with the

best possible career opportunities. • Our expertise is in removing your recruitment problems through the provision of effective recruitment solutions

and we treat candidates and employers as we would wish to be treated; as individuals.• In keeping with our beliefs, we view our clients and candidates as people, not as organisations.

The Team• Our professional recruitment team are proud to be called recruiters. Their aim is to provide the right

candidates to our clients and the right roles to our candidates. We believe that providing quality rather than quantity to our clients, sets us apart from the competition.

Understanding Clients• To achieve mutual success in the recruitment effort, we are committed to partnerships with all of our clients

and candidates to provide real value based on integrity, quality, co-operation and support. Just like the people we provide, the combination of our services is unique within the recruitment industry.

• Before embarking on a recruitment campaign, the recruitment team is fully briefed on the requirements of the business and provided with a detailed person specification. Our low staff turnover means our team will build up an understanding of your business enabling us to further provide you with the right people.

Candidates• As part of our commitment to quality, all the candidates we provide are fully qualified against the

requirements, in most cases in a face-to-face interview or via conference call. We carry out a full reference with previous employers and where necessary, technical skills are also assessed. In many cases candidates have either worked with us before or have been referred by recommendation.

What is it?

Recruitment Process Outsourcing seems to be THE hot topic in recruitment at the moment. Every agency seems to offer an angle on RPO.

Ours is simple, we can take on the whole or any part of the recruitment lifecycle, from skills gap analysis to on-boarding.

What do we offer?Virtually any function in the recruitment cycle, whether that be-

• Direct Sourcing and advertising• Vendor/PSL Management • Initial Screening, • Referencing, • Security Clearance, • (Competency Based) Interviewing • Assessment Centres and Technical Testing, • Process Management, • Diversity Assessment• Employment/Qualification checks and • Compliance.

How much will it cost?

Each client is different and therefore we carry out thorough analysis and tailor a programme to suit each situation, depending on your needs.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

TalentPool Management (TPM)

What is it?TalentPooling is a method of tracking specialist resources so you don’t have to go to market each time you have an increase in demand or a spike in activity,

for example a new project win or a large request from a customer.

How can you benefit?• Reduced cost to hire

• Reduction of time to hire• Able to employ specialists who are known to the company and will have

been vetted, referenced and interviewed already, often already known to the client.

Who can benefit?The TalentPool programme was born out of a number of requests from clients ,

eager to hold on to the top talent from a number of niche industries such as

• Niche software packages and applications such as salesforce.com and life/400 or banking technology such as Fidessa, Murex, Kondor+,

Calypso.• Business Analysts and Project Managers with specific experience or

talents, such as Security Clearance or Solvency II knowledge.• The TalentPool will also benefit more general technical abilities such as

Java or .NET and will allow you to track candidate who may have done a good job for you in the past or even candidates who have interviewed well

and could be useful for future projects.

How much will it cost?Depending on the number of consultants in the TalentPool, the cost will scale

accordingly (as per below).

We are committed to an open an honest policy in terms of our fees, therefore we have included our margin to be included on top of the contractor day rate.

The Process

Number of Candidates in Talent Pool Annual Cost Reduced Margin for day rate

contractor

10 £5,000.00 Day Rate + £200

20 £9,800.00 Day Rate + £190

30 £14,400.00 Day Rate + £180

50 £23,000.00 Day Rate + £170

100 £42,500.00 Day Rate + £150

200 £80,000.00 Day Rate + £100

Skills

We work with you to identify the skills which may be beneficially tracked in the TalentPool.

Market Research

Once the skillsets are clearly defined, RDL/Mercurial will scour the market for the best talent available.

Contact and view profiles

Once suitable candidates have been identified, we will make initial contact with each to discuss how the TalentPool works and how they as candidates will benefit. We also use a 2 tier screening process to filter out candidates with

incorrect skills.

Client Interview Consultants

We strongly suggest that you as a client, also meet with each of the candidates in the Talent Pool to further assess their skills and personality. RDL/Mercurial will be present with you at this stage. If you wish for further skills evaluation, we

can carry out technical examinations and assessment centres

Induct consultants into the TalentPool

Once you have decided which Consultants you wish to have as part of the team, we will add them to the TalentPool, tracking all the pertinent details suck as skillset, availability, day rate, location etc.

Request from client for resource

When the day comes that you need additional resources, for whatever reason, we will be ready to act. Simply email or call us with

+ the size of the team you wish to hire,

+ whether there are any specific candidates or skills you need- for example 1 Project Manger, 2 BA’s and 3 Developers

+ how long the project will run.

Putting the team together

We will respond with an up to date report of all the candidates and a proposed team structure based on your requirements- providing details of the cost, availability and skillset.

Project Finished

Once project has finished, client provides feedback on consultants performance which is recorded and tracked in the TalentPool

Auxiliary Resourcing Capability (ARC)What is it all about?

Auxiliary Resource Capability (ARC) is the name for our Interim Resourcing Support function, capable of delivering any number of different recruitment functions and solutions either on or off site.

The ARC function was born in response to a number of clients changing or adapting their recruitment strategy. No longer are clients prepared to pay extortionate recruitment fees to specialist agencies, nor to have teams of recruiters on headcount when the need to recruit simply isn't there.

The answer is to have a completely flexible, scalable and cost effective recruitment solution, for when the need to hire is there.

Can ARC help you?Do you have peaks and toughs in recruitment cycles and seem to have too many or too few recruiters?

By engaging with the ARC you can supplement your team to suit demands , for example a major project win can often result in a spike in need for additional resources. We can support you during that time with additional recruiters and resourcing staff to identify suitable short or long term candidates.

The ARC team are fully qualified recruitment professionals with experience of recruiting in many different environments, including agency, in-house and RPO.

Our delivery model promises to ensure you have the right expertise to source your talent. We have specialist recruiters in a number of niche areas including:• Financial Services• Information Technology• Investment and Retail Banking• Financial Markets• Defence and Local Government• Insurance .

Generally a Director is involved in scoping large programmes of work for a client and therefore involved from the outset for a

short period of time

Director

A Senior Manager will take ownership for the successful delivery of any agreed SLA’s and targets agreed by the business,. Also involve d in hands on recruiting including role definition and

scoping job specifications as well as2nd/3rd Interviews as appropriate

Senior Manager

Responsible for day to day Recruitment delivery, including candidate sourcing, 1st stage interviewing and liaison with

clients on understanding of role profiles.

Manager

The 1st line of delivery, responsible for initial sourcing and screening of candidates.

Consultant

Benefits• Flexible – depending on recruitment plans, we can provide a much or as little

support as you need. • Cost reduction – if compared to recruitment fees or escalating recruitment

costs, the ARC solution proves to be much more cost effective and adds real value to the recruitment process.

• Reduction in time to hire – agencies will often have 1 consultant working a vacancy at a time. Our model allows a team of people to be working all your requirements at any one time.

• Maintain control and direction – the ARC team work under the direction of the client, as part of the team, therefore remaining under the control

• Immediate – we are able to provide people on the ground to support you at short notice, without having to go to the market for additional talent. All of our consultants are RDL/Mercurial employees or associates, fully qualified and accredited to our high standards

• Support network – whilst working with the client, the team is able to utilise the Mercurial Partners support network and recruitment tools, including advertising and extensive database searches to add further value to the process

• Fixed Price – We work on a fixed fee delivery basis, which gives you the confidence that you budget wont spiral if we don’t deliver. If we fail to recruit or meet SLA’s you simply don’t pay.

Example Project

Business Performance & Project Services

The constraints on the modern banking industry require a progressive and fast-paced response.

It’s no longer just about getting things done; it’s getting them done with added value.

Business Performance Services

• Four Pillars of subject matter expertise – Cost Reduction, Risk & Compliance, Mergers & Acquisition, Trading & Derivatives.

• Core business areas – Business Process, Equities, FX, Commodities, Derivatives

• Recent projects include:• Ecommerce strategy for FX client segmentation, reviewing supporting systems and infrastructure• PMO SME for strategic client on-boarding initiative• Separation of integrated accounts as a result of a merger• Specialist risk application expertise for migration and upgrade• SME to scope growth initiative for strategic global FX business• Definition of new functional requirements for Prime Services• Re-engineered and delivered support resources for equity derivatives trading• SME for Calypso implementation with expertise to manage delivery• Target operating model for rationalisation of global reporting for credit risk• Target operating model for global loans administration support for syndicated lending• Target operating model for global expansion of FX business• Interest Rate Swap SME migration strategy from legacy systems to strategic platform

Why firms use us….

• Politically agnostic

• Focus on reduction of cost across full trade life cycle

• Flexible working models (Agile, SDLC etc.)

• Value focused cost model

• Shared risk approach

Engagement Methodology

Each client engagement is assigned a Client Relationship Manager who ensures a proactive and personalised service throughout. We work with you to:

• define the assignment• scope the assignment• identify clear objectives• define any phases• agree measurable deliverables

Once we have agreed on the best way forward, this will be detailed in a Statement of Work, signed and agreed by both parties.

We will then identify and present you with the best consultants who have the most relevant skills for each phase of the assignment, subject to your approval. After the assignment commences there will be regular review meetings with your Client Relationship Manager on a weekly or bi-weekly interval.

• Mercurial recognises that whilst each client’s programs are different, a number of common disciplines can be applied. These disciplines include:

• The alignment of all key stakeholders (Management, vendors and program staff) into one team that has a common vision and path to success i.e. Teamwork

• Contextual and metric based reporting to communicate within the program team or to external stakeholders. This is to ensure that all parties have a very clear understanding of the program’s current status and risk profile in the context of the overall business objectives resulting in Transparency

• Common sense and easy to use project and program tools which bring clarity to a Program’s critical path thereby ensuring Transparency

• These principles along with strong change control and a clear business focus feed Delivery i.e. meeting the client expectations around scope, quality, timeframe and cost .

How we work

• Focus? – Return on investment, what do we/you get for your money

• True Benefit Identification, Benefit Tracking, Benefit Realisation

• Ownership & Delivery – True Management Buy In

• Cost impact – Cost Generation (Revenue) Cost Reduction(Savings)

• You’ve got money to spend – why do you want to do this project first, what would happen if you didn't do this project?

What does “Added Value” mean?

Project Management

• Project governance – (PMO expertise)

• Qualified & experienced professionals

• Independent delivery focused project & programme management.

• Tailored project frameworks & reporting processes

• Provision of “meaningful” management (MI) information – To drive real management decisions

• Peer reviews

• Project rescue

Business Performance Services

COST REDUCTION

MERCURIAL PARTNERS PROVIDE END-TO-END COST REDUCTION SOLUTIONS THROUGH BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION

Business Performance Services

RISK AND COMPLIANCE

RISK AND COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS ADDRESS A BROAD SET OF CRITICAL ISSUES FOR TODAYS ENVIRONMENT

Business Performance Services

M&A

THE MERCURIAL PARTNERS MERGER AND ACQUISITION PROPOSITION SUPPORTS DELIVERY OF VALUE FROM STRATEGY THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION.

Business Performance Services

TRADING AND DERIVATIVES

TRADING AND DERIVATIVES CONSISTS OF FIVE DISTINCT OFFERINGS, SUPPORTED BY SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE.

People

• Mercurial Partners is committed to providing an environment that fosters respect for each person irrespective of background, race, age, gender, disability, values, sexual orientation, religion, or interests. We aim to provide a culture where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and energised about the contributions they make and the opportunities that are available to them.

• Each of our people facilitate this environment by understanding that different perspectives and backgrounds contribute to the company's success by providing competitive advantages, innovation, product quality, market access and work output.

• Respect and dignity are uppermost in the Mercurial Partners environment.

• The management team is day to day operational, keeps abreast of market trends and is readily involved in the promotion and delivery of MP services, and is immediately available to clients and candidates alike for consultation

• Management has a different meaning for every individual working within each company within each business stream within each different business sector.

• “Team” a collection of individuals with a supposed common goal of delivering a beneficial solution for the team and for each individual within it.

• At Mercurial Partners we believe that management and team, are synonymous, management feeds off the whole team, whilst the team is guided by management through the managements reflection of the team’s ideas

Key Company Officers

Patrick Leahy, Founder & Managing Director

Mobile: +44 (0) 7876743827

DDI: +44 (0) 203 086 7625