Funding, Tech, and Talent For Growth

Guy Pope
Investor, BGF
Guy Pope will explore how growth capital provides a flexible, long-term alternative to traditional venture capital and private equity, enabling businesses to scale without relinquishing control. He’ll share insights on BGF’s approach to minority investments, strategic support for scaleups, and how this model drives sustainable growth across sectors. Expect practical examples of funding strategies for international expansion, innovation, and succession planning.

Lauren Crawley-Moore
Regional Lead, London & The South, UK Primary Markets
Lauren will discuss the strong rebound in UK capital markets, highlighting London’s position as Europe’s leading venue for raising capital and its highly international investor base. She’ll outline the major reforms reshaping the UK listing environment—designed to make accessing public and crossover markets faster, more flexible and more attractive for growth companies. She will also speak to AIM’s role as Europe’s most active growth market and the emerging PISCES framework, which is creating seamless pathways between private and public capital.

Andrew Holder
Bank of England
Andrew will discuss recent developments in the UK economy and the Monetary Policy Committee’s forecasts for economic growth and inflation. He’ll explain what that is expected to mean for interest rates, and answer questions on that or other economic topics.

Alix Beese
BP Collins
Against the backdrop of B P Collins’ award-winning HR and employment law expertise, the exciting opportunity for businesses is how strategic HR can directly fuel growth. Alix will be discussing how smarter people planning, stronger compliance and high-performing cultures can accelerate scale and reduce risk. He will also explore how developing leaders, improving engagement and creating resilient HR processes can transform productivity. Ultimately, his session will show how B P Collins helps organisations grow with confidence by putting the right people, structure and support in place from day one.

Matthew Evans
Tax Strategy Ltd.
Matthew Evans will delve into the essentials of business exit planning, covering strategies to maximize valuation, identify the right exit route, and manage tax implications. He’ll outline options such as selling to employees, passing to the next generation, or selling to the market, while sharing practical insights on timelines, negotiation tactics, and succession planning.

Nisreen Ameen
RHUL
Nisreen will present the latest AI Skills for the UK Workforce report, offering insights into how businesses can prepare for the evolving digital landscape. She’ll also share two exclusive case studies with Airbus and KPMG, highlighting practical approaches to building AI capability and fostering innovation across organizations.

Paul Hayman
CFO
Paul is a Chartered CFO with over 25 years’ experience leading finance across global blue-chip and private equity–backed businesses. He has deep expertise in M&A, fundraising, post-merger integration and transforming underperforming finance functions. Paul will be sharing insights on how finance leaders can navigate the demands of private equity, accelerate growth and deliver strong investor outcomes. He will also discuss practical lessons from leading international teams and driving operational and strategic change.