FUND management company NEL has appointed business investor DAVID WILSON as investment director.

Mr Wilson, who has been with NEL for more than seven years, will now play a more central role, as well as working to raise funds for North-East businesses.

He joined NEL from one of its investee companies as a financial analyst in 1998, before being promoted to fund manager and, in 2003, to senior fund manager.

He has worked on dozens of business deals and loans during his time with NEL and, for the past three years, has led the company's investment team of eight staff, working to assess and process investment requests.