Our Team

Tom Hill-Norton

Founder

Tom is one of the founders of Belltown, responsible for deal sourcing, execution, and managing the transaction team. His career has focused on investing in sustainable infrastructure projects since the end of 2006. He worked with the energy investment team at Actis on renewable energy investments in emerging markets and raised and invested a series of renewable energy funds for Guinness Asset Management in the UK. Prior to 2006, Tom worked in corporate finance (with JP Morgan, Flemings, and Fredericks Michael) and strategy consultancy with The Boston Consulting Group. Tom has an MA (Hons) from The University of Edinburgh and an MBA from INSEAD. Together with his siblings, Tom manages his family hill farm in Cornwall.

Shirley Cooper

Finance Director

Following a degree in International Finance at the Queen’s University of Belfast, Shirley began her career as an auditor for PwC before joining Gordian Knot, a London-based fund management company, where she rose to become Head of Credit. She subsequently worked as a Finance Director, first for the University of London’s branch campus in Doha, Qatar, and then at a major private wealth fund in Victoria, Canada. Now settled with her family in Philadelphia, Shirley oversees Belltown’s Finance function.

Andrew Smyre

Chief Farming Officer

Prior to Belltown, Andrew ran his own consulting business, Precizion Ag, which advised 30+ farming operations on organic conversion, agronomy, and crop distribution strategy. From 2017, Andrew also worked at Anchor Ingredients as an Organic Grains Merchandiser signing organic grain trading contracts with over 100 farming operations and end-users in 12 states and provinces. Prior to this, Andrew worked at Perdue Agribusiness as an agronomist working to convert American farmers to organic farming. Andrew has a bachelor’s degree from Delaware Valley University in Agronomy and Soil Science. Andrew is the Vice President of PCO, one of the largest Organic Certification bodies on the East Coast.

Charles Webster

Legal Counsel

Charles is a corporate lawyer with over 10 years’ experience in the UK and abroad. He has worked in private practice in Australia and the UK, including as part of the corporate legal team at Withers LLP in London for four years. In 2012 Charles became General Counsel of Green Hedge which developed and financed over 20 utility-scale solar farms. Charles joined Belltown as General Counsel in 2016 and manages Belltown’s legal affairs. He is also involved in project development, acquisitions, financings, and disposals, as well as assisting with asset management and investor relations. Charles is dual qualified and admitted as a solicitor in England and Australia. Charles has a B.Laws from the University of Technology in Sydney.

David Wilmerding

Investment Director

David manages Belltown’s buy- and sell-side transaction process, from origination through to IC approval, and supports the fundraising process. Prior to Belltown, he was a Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group focusing on projects with a corporate finance component and an Associate at White Deer Energy, a middle-market private equity firm. He has an MBA from New York University and an MA (Hons) in Sustainable Development from the University of St Andrews.

Alfred Perry

Investment Manager

Alfred works on Belltown’s transactions and supports farm management, stewardship, and fundraising activities. Prior to joining Belltown, he was an Associate at Glennmont Partners (now Nuveen Infrastructure), where he worked on clean energy transactions across Europe and was a founding member of the Sustainability Committee. He has an MSt (Distinction) from the University of Oxford and a BA (Hons, First Class) from the University of London (New College of the Humanities).

Tom Hill-Norton

Founder

Shirley Cooper

Finance Director

Andrew Smyre

Chief Farming Officer

Charles Webster

Legal Counsel

David Wilmerding

Investment Director

Alfred Perry

Investment Manager

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND JUSTICE

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are fundamental to the success of Belltown Farms. We are committed to creating an inclusive working environment by promoting diversity in our workforce and attracting the brightest individuals from all cultural backgrounds.

Belltown provides equality of opportunity and freedom from discrimination on the grounds of race, color, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, marital or civil union status, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, age, veteran status, or social class.