Meet The Investment Competition Panel

Meet The Investment Competition Panel. All of whom are experienced in the world of early stage investing and growth businesses.

Last week, we announced the eight businesses who have been chosen to pitch at this year’s Investment Competition. Hopefully you’ve had chance to take a look at the finalists and find out a little more about each of the start up and more established businesses which will be appearing at the event on March 12th.

The competition requires each of the finalists to deliver their business pitch to both an investment panel and a roomful of potential investors. The panel will judge each of the presentations and then choose a winner who will receive a prize package and support worth £50,000. The investors who attend, will be able to invest seed or growth capital into any of the pitching investment opportunities, should they wish to.

As the organisers of this year’s Investment Competition, GrowthFunders has invited a number of esteemed businessmen and women to attend as panellists; all of whom are experienced in the world of early stage investing and growth businesses. The panel are shown below:

Russell Dalgleish, Exolta Capital

Russell is an active Angel Investor whose true passion lies in helping solve the complex challenges problems faced by entrepreneurs.

Currently, Russell holds two major positions and splits his time between Exolta Capital Partners, a leading advisory business and WeAreTheFuture, a Social Enterprise which focuses on supporting young entrepreneurs. Operating from offices in London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Geneva, Exolta specialises in providing unparalleled business growth guidance to agile and ambitious businesses. WeAreTheFuture, meanwhile - of which Russell is chairman - is a not-for-profit Social Enterprise whose mission is to help young people with a burning desire to become entrepreneurs succeed.

Prior to this, Russell was a Partner at Hamilton Bradshaw Venture Partners.

Adding to his already-busy schedule, Russell is also a keynote speaker and can regularly be found delivering speeches at events where he shares his excitement for entrepreneurship and his experience on how to successfully grow businesses.

Gaynor Dykes , GrowthAccelerator

Gaynor is a Regional Manager for GrowthAccelerator, now part of the Business Growth Service, a government-backed service that has supported over 20,000 growing businesses throughout England. It has also provided access to over £100million of external finance from across the UK funding market.

Prior to joining GrowthAccelerator in 2012, Gaynor’s career progression has been in banking, finance, and professional services, working alongside SMEs from a wide range of industry sectors. Gaynor has also set up and managed the delivery of several government-backed access-to-finance business support initiatives, which have enabled her to develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by growth businesses.

James Downing, Silicon Valley Bank

James has wide experience across the banking and wider financial markets, as well as a strong track record of providing support, assistance and thought-leadership to prominent technology companies.

Working as part of Silicon Valley Bank, James often liaises with companies, venture capital and private equity firms, corporate venturing partners and the wider tech ecosystem.

James’ experience lies in growth financing, panel speaking and portfolio management. For example, he spent 7 years managing a tech and media client portfolio at Barclays Bank.

Mike Ormesher, JEMM Corporate Development

An experienced Software Executive & Consultant, Mike has over 25 years in the Software and Services market. He is also a Chartered Accountant holding a number of commercially-orientated positions in General Management, Business Development, and Fund Raising, amongst others. As well as this, Mike has also been an executive director in numerous VC-backed and FTSE listed companies.

Currently, Mike is the Owner and Principal Consultant at JEMM Corporate Development, transforming the top-line growth, operational effectiveness, and sustained improvement in their clients’ profitability.

Hossain Rezaei MBE, The You Company:

Hossain’s first entrepreneurial endeavour was due in part to an understanding bank manager and a 150% mortgage. With this, he bought, converted, and rented out student flats in the mid-‘80s. Next, Hossain set up specialty flat-bread company, Pride Valley Foods, whose turnover increased from £87,000 in the first year to £690,000 in 1993 and jumped to £6.4m the following year. Hossain sold the company in 2007 in a £20m deal to one of the world’s biggest food conglomerates.

Over the last 35 years, Hossain has conceived, established and exited a total of 12 businesses.

Hossain now dedicates the majority of his time to The You Company - a revolutionary proactive and preventative health and wellness organisation. It has been set-up to deliver wellness programmes to the masses via channel partners. He also acts as chairman to REALRIDER and Hyperdrive Technologies.

Nigel Walker, Innovate UK:

Nigel is responsible for Access to Finance at Innovate UK (the new name for the Technology Strategy Board), where he heads the organisation’s support for innovative SMEs in gaining access to business support and private sector funding to accelerate the journey from concept to commercialisation.

Nigel has a background in the financial services industry, having spent over 10 years at each of Deutsche Bank and GE Capital. At GE, he established the European ‘Access GE’ programme, advising, coaching and mentoring management teams of businesses owned by VC and private equity firms on operational excellence, acquisition integration, strategy development and leadership.

Chris Wilson

Project Manager for Venturefest Yorkshire. Responsible for funding, logistical plans and content in conjunction with the Venturefest Yorkshire Board of Directors.

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