Invest North West Forum & Reception

Andrew Ross

Managing Partner (Manchester), Endless

Andrew Ross is an Investment Partner responsible for the firm’s operations in Yorkshire and the North East from our Leeds Headquarters. As well as leading investment activity generally in the region, he also has a national focus on finding new investments in the industrial/manufacturing sector.

Andrew is responsible for the firm’s operations in Yorkshire and the North East from our Leeds Headquarters, as well as a focus on investments in the industrials/manufacturing sector nationally. This includes delivering new transactions, as well as working closely with some of our investments.

Andrew has been with Endless since 2015. Prior to this, Andy spent 16 years at PwC advising regional corporates and their stakeholders through sales, purchases, restructures and refinancing projects.

Andy MacNae MP

MP for Rossendale & Darwen, House of Commons

Awaiting speaker's biography.
 

Cassie Doherty

Investment Director, Northern Gritstone

Awaiting speaker's biography.

Catherine Headly

CEO, University of Manchester Innovation Factory

Awaiting speaker's biography.

Dr Karim Bahou

Head of Innovation, Sister, Manchester's New Innovation District

Awaiting speaker's biography.

Gary Tipper

Managing Partner, Palatine

Gary Tipper is the Group Managing Partner of Palatine having co-founded the business with Ed Fazakerley and Tony Dickin in 2005. Gary is also the Chairman of Palatine’s Buyout Investment Committee.

Gary’s passion lies in identifying and supporting ambitious, entrepreneurial management teams in achieving their ambitions. As an entrepreneur, Gary understands the challenges businesses face and how these challenges can be overcome. Gary is proud of the developments Palatine has led in sustainability and being the first mainstream PE house to raise an Impact Fund. Gary is also responsible for fundraising and relationships with investors within Palatine.

With over thirty years’ experience in private equity and having held several non-executive board positions, Gary has been instrumental in helping many management teams execute their business plan successfully, whilst generating excellent returns for investors.

Outside of work, Gary is a big sports fan. He follows Manchester City, home and away, and enjoys golf and boxing. Gary is also Chair of City in the Community (“CITC”), which is Manchester City’s charity, supporting people across Greater Manchester by empowering healthier lives through football.

Jason Zillwood

UK Sales Director, PNC

Jason Zillwood is UK Sales Director for PNC Business Credit. He is responsible for leading the PNC UK Business Development Team and driving the growth strategy and deal execution with Private Equity Groups, Credit Funds, Corporate Finance and Debt Advisers across the UK and Ireland. He has a wealth of experience across a variety of Senior Secured financing including Asset-Based Lending – both on a bilateral and syndicated basis, Stretch Cash Flow, Unitranche and Super Senior structures.

Jason is a qualified chartered accountant and prior to joining PNC in 2015 he spent time working for a ‘Big 4’ advisory firm in Audit and Corporate Finance, time in Debt Advisory and in a European and a US owned lending institution.

Karim Palant

Director of External Affairs, UK Private Capital

Karim Palant is Director of External Affairs at UK Private Capital, where he leads the organisation's public affairs, communications and research work.

With over twenty years' experience spanning politics, technology and economic policy, Karim works at the intersection of business, government and public debate. He leads UK Private Capital's engagement with policymakers, stakeholders and the media, and oversees the industry's flagship research programme on investment activity and long-term fund performance.

Prior to joining UK Private Capital, Karim held senior public policy roles at LinkedIn and Facebook. Earlier in his career, he served as Head of Policy to the Shadow Chancellor.

He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford and was educated at Calderstones School in Liverpool.

Kath MacKay

Managing Director, Innovate UK and Non Executive Director, Northern Health Science Alliance

Kath Mackay is Interim Managing Director of Innovate UK - the UK's innovation agency and part of UKRI - backing innovative deep-tech businesses across the UK's priority sectors. With more than 20 years' experience at the intersection of investment, partnerships, infrastructure and translational science, she has built and led organisations, programmes and collaborations that drive innovation, commercial growth, and economic and societal impact. Kath's career spans senior leadership roles across the private sector, public-private partnerships and innovation-led transformation.

Prior to Innovate UK, Kath was an Executive Director at Bruntwood SciTech, the £1.6bn science and innovation platform, where she helped create innovation districts and regional innovation ecosystems across the UK. She led public-private partnerships with leading universities, investors, incubators and venture creation partners across a national portfolio supporting more than 1,500 science and technology businesses. Kath is a Non-Executive Director of the Northern Health Science Alliance and holds a PhD in Pharmacology. Her work has focused on translating world-class research into commercially sustainable businesses, investment opportunities and long-term regional growth.

Lucie Mills

Partner, NorthEdge

Lucie Mills joined NorthEdge in 2019 to bring her experience of delivering change in a fast growth business to the private equity house itself.

As a Partner, Lucie supports NorthEdge portfolio companies to operationalise and deliver their value creation plan; facilitates portfolio connectivity to share learnings, best practice and access to the operating partner network; supports with Investor Relations and fundraising activities; and takes responsibility for ESG – recognising the role it plays in building better businesses and driving long-term value creation.

Lucie is also very active in wider industry advocacy, including taking on the role of Chair of the BVCA’s Responsible Investment Advisory Group in 2024 and regularly engaging with senior ministers to ensure the Lower-Mid Market & the UK regions are well represented in conversations regarding reform and policy development.

Michael Moore

Chief Executive, UK Private Capital

Michael Moore is Chief Executive of UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA).

Michael and his colleagues are focused on supporting the development of the private capital industry, as it invests in thousands of businesses and supports millions of jobs across the UK. As policymakers work on the competitiveness of the UK’s investment climate, Michael is confident that private equity and venture capital will continue to create significant public value through investment in growth, innovation and people.

Over the past 30 years Michael has operated at senior levels in both politics and business. In his political career he served in the Cabinet at the time of the Coalition Government, as Secretary of State for Scotland. He was a Member of Parliament for 18 years.

After the 2015 General Election, Michael became a Senior Advisor at PwC. Prior to entering politics, he qualified as a chartered accountant with the firm.

Richard Swann

UK Private Capital Chair 2026-27 and Partner, Inflexion

Richard Swann chairs Inflexion’s Investment Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee, Realisation Committee and Responsible Investment Steering Committee. He previously chaired the Executive Committee and Responsible Investment Steering Committee and was the Head of Buyout. 

Richard joined Inflexion in 2008 and has since been involved in many of Inflexion’s current and previous investments.

Outside of Inflexion, Richard is passionate about the role education plays in society, and is a member of the Council of the University of Birmingham. Richard also sits on the Board of UK Private Capital.

Richard has a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham and an MBA from the University of Warwick, and was previously a partner with Deloitte and its predecessor firm Arthur Andersen.

Steve Rotheram

Mayor, Liverpool City Region

Awaiting speaker's biography.

Tim Newns

Director, Office for Investment, No.10 North

Tim Newns is Director for Growth & Infrastructure at the Office for Investment, a joint unit that sits between No 10 Downing Street, No 10 North, HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science & Trade, focussing on attracting large-scale strategic investment into the UK.

In addition to being part of the major deals unit, Tim also oversees the Nations and Regions work, as well as the Strategic Investment Opportunities unit, seeking to increase transformational investment across the whole of the UK, contributing to Government’s Regional Growth agenda.

Previous to the Office for Investment, Tim was Chief Executive of MIDAS, Manchester's Inward Investment Agency, for 11 years, where he oversaw the attraction of over £6bn of investment and 50,000 jobs, making Manchester the leading destination for FDI in the UK outside London and top 10 globally.

Tom Mullock

Associate Director, Private Equity & M&A, Gallagher

Awaiting speaker's biography.