Invest North West

Alison Maughan

Investment Manager, Northern Gritstone

Alison Maughan has both corporate VC experience and life sciences insight. In addition to graduating from the University of Oxford with a BA in Biological Sciences, Alison has worked with 50+ investee companies across the full deal cycle during her previous role as Investment Manager at Deepbridge Capital.

Whilst at Deepbridge, Alison was the recipient of an internal award identifying her as an emerging leader in the space.

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

Andy MacNae was first elected to Rossendale Borough Council in 2011, gaining the Greensclough ward from the Conservatives. He narrowly lost the seat by 10 votes in 2015, before returning to the council in 2016 representing Hareholme. He later won the Stacksteads ward in 2021, and in 2023 gained the Irwell seat from the Conservatives. During his time on the council, he held portfolio responsibilities for leisure and regeneration.

At the 2024 general election, MacNae was elected as the Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen, unseating Conservative incumbent Jake Berry, who had held the seat since 2010. MacNae had previously sought selection for the constituency in 2013 but was beaten by Will Straw, who went on to contest the seat unsuccessfully in 2015.

In Parliament, MacNae has asked questions on physical education, potholes, transport and establishing a National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism in the UK.
 

Cassie Doherty

Investment Director, Northern Gritstone

Cassie Doherty is an Investment Director at Northern Gritstone. She has more than twenty years of experience with university spinout ventures and focuses on transformative life sciences companies across therapeutics, agtech, medical devices and enabling technologies. Before joining Northern Gritstone, she worked at Parkwalk Advisors.

Cassie holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Leeds. She is passionate about turning groundbreaking academic research into market-ready innovations that address real-world challenges. She is also a Trustee of Leeds Hospitals Charity and chairs its Research & Innovation Committee.
 

Chris Thomas

Director, Financial Sponsors, Santander

Chris Thomas has c25 years’ experience in leveraged finance, specialising in supporting Private Equity-backed companies. A founding member of Santander’s Structured Finance business in 2010, he now leads the bank’s Financial Sponsors origination efforts nationally, alongside originating and executing Sponsor-backed transactions across the North West and wider UK. With extensive experience of supporting businesses and investors through acquisitions, growth and strategic transactions. Recent deals include Mission Mars, Partners&, Pure Cremation, Hakim Group and The Openwork Partnership. Outside work, Chris is a keen golfer and cyclist.

Dan Cathie

Chief Executive Officer, Silveray

Dan Cathie is the Co-founder and CEO of Silveray, a Manchester-based deep tech company focused on developing flexible X-ray imagers. Under his leadership, Silveray has secured significant funding to advance its technology, which aims to transform digital radiography for both medical and industrial applications.

Dan has extensive experience in semiconductor technology, having previously worked at Philips Semiconductors and led a UK research spin-out.

His background includes a Master’s degree in Electronics and an MBA, and he has contributed to various technology innovations and commercializations throughout his career. 
 

Dr Catherine Headley

CEO, University of Manchester Innovation Factory

Dr Catherine Headley is Chief Executive Officer of the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, Manchester’s subsidiary company responsible for spinout creation, IP licensing and investment. She has many years of experience of working at the interface between academia and the commercial world, building partnerships and programmes across that interface.

Catherine has led several initiatives in the knowledge exchange sphere, and is passionate about the impact that can be generated through partnerships and research commercialisation.

Catherine previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry, leading programmes to develop novel technologies.
 

Dr Karim Bahou

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

Dr Karim Bahou is Head of Innovation at Sister, Manchester’s new innovation district. In this role, he spearheads the global development of Sister’s ecosystem, working with senior leaders from Bruntwood SciTech and The University of Manchester to accelerate the growth of ambitious start-ups in Manchester and beyond.

Karim brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of academia and industry. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Imperial College London and has conducted research at Imperial, CSIRO in Australia, and the University of Liverpool. Alongside his academic career, he has held senior consulting roles at Plexal and FIS360 Ltd., where he specialised in building partnerships between government, academia, industry leaders, and SMEs to drive technological innovation.

His career reflects a strong commitment to enabling innovation, nurturing entrepreneurial ecosystems, and supporting organisations to translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact.
 

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.

Hugh Campbell

Chairman and Co-founder, Bullhound Capital

Hugh Campbell is Chairman and Co-founder of Bullhound Capital and has spent the majority of his career investing in and advising many of Europe's leading technology companies and entrepreneurs.

Bullhound Capital is today one of Europe's significant growth-stage technology investors, with approximately €1.3bn in assets under management and a portfolio of category-leading companies across Europe and the United States.

Hugh serves as Chairman of ConnexAI, a global leader in conversational AI solutions, and is a Non-Executive Director of Lingokids, a playlearning app for children, and Pastest, a provider of online test preparation for doctors.

He began his career in M&A at Citibank before moving into equity research at Goldman Sachs, following which he founded an edtech start-up in Beijing, China, before co-founding GP Bullhound in 2000. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and holds a degree from Pembroke College, Oxford.

Humza Khan

Director, Private Equity Coverage, Grant Thornton

Humza Khan is responsible for building and developing relationships with private equity firms and other capital providers, including institutional funds, family offices and sovereign wealth funds across the UK, Europe and the US. His role focuses on creating value for both the firm and its clients, leveraging an extensive international network of more than 250 private equity funds to ensure clients benefit from access to industry specialists and globally dispersed professionals.

Humza also works closely with senior leadership and the marketing team to shape and deliver Grant Thornton’s strategic marketing plans for Private Equity. He established the firm’s Private Equity podcast series and launched its half-year and annual Private Equity reviews, working in partnership with the marketing team.

As the Private Equity business continues to grow, Humza is actively involved in developing new initiatives to strengthen the firm’s market presence and client proposition.

James Gregson

Partner - Impact Fund, Palatine

James Gregson is a partner in the Impact Fund at Palatine Private Equity, investing from Palatine Impact’s second fund of £150m, which is focused on investing in businesses that make a positive difference to society or the environment.

Having been with Palatine for almost 10 years, James has led a number of investments across the Education, Environmental Services, Healthcare and Tech for Good sectors and currently sits on the board of Leep Group, easyfundraising, Papilo and Cura Terrae. Prior to Palatine, James worked in an M&A Lead Advisory role at BDO, gaining experience across a wide range of sell-side, buy-side and private equity transactions.
 

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.

Jeremy Thompson

Partner, Maven Capital Partners

Jeremy Thompson joined Maven in April 2017 and is based in our Manchester office. His responsibilities include deal origination and execution of private equity investments in the North West and Yorkshire.

Prior to joining Maven, Jeremy was a Senior Associate in the corporate team at law firm Squire Patton Boggs. In this role, Jeremy specialised in mergers & acquisitions and private equity, advising clients on a wide range of transactions.

Outside of work Jeremy enjoys football, golf and spending time with his three young children.
 

Juliette Gerstein

Head of Public Affairs, UK Private Capital

Juliette Gerstein leads the Public Affairs Team at UK Private Capital, spearheading UK Private Capital’s political and parliamentary engagement and working alongside the Policy and Communications teams.

Juliette has spent over 10 years working in financial services public affairs, including a number of years at the FCA. Having started her career working in Parliament, she also previously supported clients with their external communications at agencies Portland and Lexington.

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.

Katie Gallagher OBE

Managing Director & Chair, Manchester Digital & UK Tech Cluster Group

Katie Gallagher OBE leads Manchester Digital with a focus that is straightforward: remove the blockers that stop the sector from doing what it does best. That means listening to what businesses actually need, backing the team to deliver it and making sure the right conversations are happening at government level.

She has been in this sector long enough to know that real change takes persistence - and she brings plenty of it.

Louise Chapman

Investment Director and NPIF II Fund Principal, PXN Group

Louise Chapman leads on the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) mandate at PXN Ventures. Louise’s role involves managing early-stage and growth investments across the North of England. This includes NPIF II funding for North West-based companies such as Ryft, Atomik AM and The Padel Club.

A chartered accountant, Louise spent nine years at KPMG in audit and advisory before moving into VC. Louise continues to play a vital role expanding our regional presence, supporting founders through the investment lifecycle and building strong relationships with local partners and stakeholders. 
 

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 UK Private Capital’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.

Luke Muscat

Founder & Group CEO, Leep Group

Luke Muscat is the founder and Group CEO of Leep Group, a national education, skills and human-capital business. Since founding Back to Work in 2010, Luke has grown the organisation from a standing start into a £32 million revenue, £5.5 million EBITDA group employing 470 people. Following Palatine’s investment in 2020, he has delivered 3.2-times EBITDA growth and led four acquisitions, overseeing the full deal lifecycle from origination to integration.

Luke combines entrepreneurial drive with private-equity governance and a commitment to social impact, creating opportunities for learners while helping major employers address critical skills shortages across the UK.

Mark Sterritt

Partner, British Business Bank

Mark Sterritt is the Managing Director of the Local Growth Team at the British Business Bank. In previous roles with the Bank, he was the Senior Director for UK and Regional Funds with responsibility for investment programmes designed to support venture capital and growth finance across the UK’s nations and regions.

Mark has extensive experience in venture capital and ecosystem development and works closely with fund managers, investors, and regional partners to strengthen the UK’s innovation finance landscape. Prior roles include working in Corporate and Institutional Banking and on all-island economic development in Ireland. 

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 Somerfield

Chief Technology Officer, Summize

Richard Somerfield has played a central role in shaping Summize’s technology from its early days. With a career rooted in software development and technology leadership, he brings deep, hands-on experience alongside a strong belief in collaboration, curiosity and continuous learning.

As Summize’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Richard works closely with customers and internal teams to connect ideas across disciplines and turn them into practical, scalable CLM innovation.

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

Steve Rotheram has served as Mayor of the Liverpool City Region since 2017, leading the Combined Authority's work on transport, skills, housing and economic growth across Merseyside and Halton.

Previously MP for Liverpool Walton and Lord Mayor of Liverpool, he has been a leading advocate for devolution, regional investment and greater local decision-making. As Metro Mayor, he has overseen major investments in transport, regeneration and digital infrastructure, with a particular focus on creating opportunity, attracting investment and driving growth across the North of England.
 

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

Tom Mullock is an Associate Director in Gallagher’s Transactional Risks team, based in Manchester. He advises private equity investors, corporates, management teams and their advisers on transaction risk insurance solutions, including warranty & indemnity and tax liability insurance, across UK and international M&A transactions.

Tom works closely with lawyers, corporate finance advisers and private equity firms throughout the North West and has supported transactions across a broad range of sectors and deal sizes.