AIAC1 (“the Company”) is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While the Company may pursue an initial business combination target in any stage of its corporate evolution or in any industry or sector, the Company intends to focus its initial search on companies in the European infrastructure industry.
Meet the Team
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Richard Dodd
Executive Chairman
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Douglas Ward
Chief Executive Officer
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Daniel Mamadou-Blanco
President
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Rob Dilling
Chief Financial Officer
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Christoph Ackermann
Chief Operating Officer
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Executive Chairman
Richard Dodd has served as our Executive Chairman since inception. Richard is a highly experienced leader in the telecoms and technology sectors where he has held senior executive positions and also managed many transactions: acquisitions, divestments, mergers and fundraising.
From 2010 to 2024, he served as the Managing Partner of NewMarket Partners Ltd, an advisory services provider. In 2023, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of 4th Utility, an internet services provider supplying full fiber connectivity across the UK.
From 2015 to 2018, Richard served as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Speik (Aeriandi Ltd), a cloud software company serving merchants, banks and telecom providers. He was also a member of the advisory board at LucidCX, a customer software management software and services provider, and before that he served as a non-executive director and the chair of the audit committee at the Concerto Group, a hospitality business.
From 2005 to 2010, Richard served as regional Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of M&A at Cable & Wireless PLC, where he integrated disparate portfolios and led the M&A team in divestment, acquisition and footprint expansions and minority buyouts. From 2004 to 2005, he served as the Co-Founder and the Managing Director at Blue Saffron Ltd, a full-service telecoms business. Prior to that, he was the Head of the technology, media and telecommunications practice at consulting firm AT Kearney Ltd.
Richard holds an Honours Engineering degree from the University of Bristol in the UK and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business in the USA.
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Chief Executive Officer and Director
Douglas Ward has served as our Chief Executive Officer since inception. He is an entrepreneur who has invested in and run a number of businesses in technology, telecoms, electricity storage and real estate.
Doug is an investor in Conquer AI, a software engineering company, Mosskind, an international consultancy specializing in organizational change, effectiveness, and talent acquisition services, along with multiple startups like Hireable, an AI-powered software that empowers organizations with innovative tools for the delivery of career transition support. Additionally, Doug has been a real estate investor in Three Wards Ltd, a real estate company, since 2024.
Since 2021, Doug has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer at UKV3 Ltd, a management consulting services firm he owns. From 2018 to 2020, he served as the Co-Chief Executive Officer & joint largest shareholder at Telcom Group, an internet services provider focusing on the biggest landlords and tech businesses in the UK. Prior to that, he was an advisory partner at Tech Nation, a growth platform for UK tech companies, from 2013 to 2020. In 2017, he co-founded NodeTech, a Proptech startup which aims to create outstanding connectivity experiences for occupiers, real estate owners and managers, and served as its director from 2019 to 2020.
In 2012, Doug co-founded Tech Britain, an online resource that highlights the people, companies, finance and spaces that comprise each of the United Kingdom’s tech clusters, after which he also co-founded SpacePortX, Manchester’s home for tech entrepreneurs working on scalable software together.
Doug attended Manchester Metropolitan University, studying Law with French.
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President
Daniel Mamadou-Blanco has served as our President since inception. Daniel is a capital formation and M&A specialist with a rare blend of banking and operational experience across global markets.
Daniel is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Welsbach Holdings, a technology metals advisory firm, and has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Nasdaq-listed Welsbach Technology Metals Acquisition Corp. since its inception. Since 2021 he has also served as Managing Director of Greenland Minerals Ltd, which owns the Kvanefjeld rare earth project in Greenland.
Daniel’s background includes founding Talaxis Limited, the technology metals division of Noble Group, which he led from 2015 to 2020. Prior to his operational roles, Daniel built a strong foundation in investment banking, leading the Corporate Solutions and Financing Group at Nomura for Asia-Pacific between 2011 and 2014. Before that, he headed up the Corporate Markets and Treasury Solutions team at Deutsche Bank in Hong Kong from 2003 to 2011. Previously, he worked at Goldman Sachs in London within FICC and Equities, and began his career on Deutsche Bank’s fixed income derivatives desk.
Daniel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing from ESIC Business & Marketing School in Spain, and a Master of Science in International Securities and Investment Banking from the University of Reading in the UK.
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Chief Financial Officer
W. Robert (Rob) Dilling, Jr. is our Chief Financial Officer. Since 2020, he has served as a Managing Partner at Videmus Group, a provider of fractional CFO services for privately held businesses. Rob is an experienced Chief Financial Officer with significant experience in financial and operational leadership across diverse industries.
From 2021 to 2023, Rob served as the Chief Financial Officer at Cureatr, Inc., a developer of a cloud-based medication management software designed to optimize patient care.
From 2013 to 2021, Rob worked as the Vice President of Finance at Marcou Transportation Group. From 2015 to 2019, he served as a partner at Exceptional Leaders International, a transformation company that guides middle-market organizations through transitions. From 2010 to 2014, Rob was the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at INSCO Inc., a private equity backed distributor of technically engineered products and services. From 2005 to 2010, he was a Partner at Tatum (now owned by Ranstad), an executive services firm providing interim leadership, consulting and executive search services. From 2005 to 2007, he worked as the Chief Financial Officer at Pemco Corp.
Rob earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from West Virginia University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business.
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Chief Operating Officer
Christoph Ackermann has served as our Chief Operating Officer since inception. An ex-investment banker, Chris has a proven track record as a COO with international experience in multiple sectors.
Since 2023, he has been a strategic advisor at IP technology provider CertifyIP, while serving as the business partner at Coaching Quest from 2023 to 2025.
Since 2014, Chris has served as a transformation consultant for various companies including Oakley Capital, Carlsquare GmbH, and HSBC. From 2023 to 2024, he served as a senior consultant at MAAT S.R.L., and the Chief Operating Officer at Sarratt holdings Limited, a women’s health and wellness start-up. In 2019, Chris served as a senior consultant at Alchemmy, a consultancy firm, and previously as an integration manager at CatCap in 2018.
From 2014 to 2015, Chris worked at HSBC in London as the Program Manager at Fixed Income and from 2011 to 2014, he served as the Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Tenzing Partners. Chris served as the Chief Operating Officer at Citi Group Global Markets in 2011 and, prior to that, he worked at Deutsche Bank on the global finance and FX (GFFX) team, a strategy group formed within the bank focusing on risk management and liquidity, eventually serving as Chief Operating Officer.
Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the European University in Brussels, and a Master of Business Administration in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in the USA.
Independent Directors
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Christopher Ellis
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Dr. Claire Handby FCIOB MAPM
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Steven Leighton
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Independent Director
Christopher Ellis is a member of our Board of Directors. Chris is a financial and strategic advisor with many years of experience managing complex transactions, capital structuring and distressed situations.
From 2007 until 2020, Chris served as president and managing director of Consensus Advisors (now named Dfin Ltd), a Boston-based boutique investment bank specialising in the retail & consumer sector. There he established himself as a specialist bankruptcy financial advisor during and after the financial crisis, handling multiple engagements as a Court-appointed Financial Advisor, Chief Restructuring Officer and Bankruptcy Examiner, advising variously banks, other creditors, management and owners.
From 2016 to 2017, he served as interim chairman of Diamondcorp plc, an AIM-listed company operating a diamond mine in South Africa.
Chris served as an operating partner with The East India Company LLC, a real estate business in the United States, from 2002 until 2024.
In 2000, Chris moved to the US and served as a partner in Reel Hospitality, a New England based restaurant company until 2005.
In the mid-1980s he co-founded Ellis Blaker, a financial advisory firm, in London, from where he worked with US-based clients, providing innovative and efficient financing structures and then expanding these relationships into broader strategic engagements involving both M&A and restructuring.
Chris is a registered FINRA General Securities Representative (Series 7, Series 63), Investment Banking Representative (Series 79), and was appointed a Bankruptcy Court examiner in the Southern District of New York by the Department of Justice.
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Independent Director
Dr. Claire Handby is a member of our Board of Directors. She has extensive experience of business and project leadership across multiple industries with a major focus on infrastructure. She is also a business growth coach, writer and keynote speaker.
Since 2023, Claire has served as a Non-Executive Director at Hireable, a technology platform supporting career transition, and as Executive Director at Dr. Claire Handby Business Leadership Ltd, where she assists companies in transformation, portfolio leadership, assurance, operations and C-suite business growth.
Previously Claire gained 15 years of experience at three of the Big 4, the international accounting and professional services firms. From 2021 to 2023, she served as a Director at KPMG LLP, focusing on deal advisory practice requirements within the infrastructure and government sectors. From 2016 to 2021, she worked as a Director at Deloitte UK, where she was in the financial advisory practice and focused on helping central and local government, public sector organizations, as well as private sector businesses to improve their performance. Before that, Claire worked as a Senior Manager at EY LLP from 2008 to 2016.
From 2004 to 2008, Claire worked as a Senior Project Manager at Mace Group, a provider of business consulting and construction services. Previously, she worked as the Senior Planning and Resources Manager and Infrastructure Package Manager at Laing O’Rourke.
Claire holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management from Northumbria University, is a Fellow with the global Chartered Institute of Building, and holds an Honorary Doctorate degree in Business Administration from the University of Salford, both in the UK.
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Independent Director
Steven Leighton is a member of our Board of Directors. Steve is an entrepreneur and highly experienced director of infrastructure businesses, focused on telecoms and electric vehicle charging. He also has extensive experience in fundraising from start-ups to major corporate transactions.
Since May 2025, Steve has served as the Chairman at Jenson Ventures, a venture capital firm. From 2023 to 2025, he served as Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Zapgo, a UK-based electric vehicle charge point operator and has subsequently served as an ambassador for the company. Since 2023, Steve has served as an advisor to Voneus Broadband, a provider of high-speed rural broadband, after working as Founder and Chief Executive Officer from 2011. He has also served as the Chair of ISPA Council, a trade association that represents the UK internet service provider industry and its related suppliers since 2022.
From 2007 to 2011, Steve worked as the Chief Operation Operations Officer at Findsyou Limited, and previously he worked as a Director at Greenroom Digital from 2004 to 2007. Prior to that, Steve was a Co-Founder and Sales and Marketing Director at Keycom PLC, an internet service provider focused on rolling out infrastructure in the UK’s tertiary education sector, from 2000 to 2004. Previously he was Head of Communications Sponsorship at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, a UK government department, from 1996 to 2000.