Ian is non-Voting Chairman of the Voting Panel. Throughout his career, Ian has been involved in the quoted growth companies sector. His early career was as a stockbroker, analyst, broadcaster and financial journalist in this area and, since founding Design Portfolio in 1991, he has been active in helping many companies in this sector with their investor communication and corporate reporting requirements.

Ian is the founder of the AIM Awards, a Director of Ford Sinclair Ltd., Chairman of Flathill Communications Group plc, President of The Design Portfolio Marketing Services Inc. and a member of the Investor Relations Society.

Peter joined Shore Capital as an Equity Research Analyst – Growth Companies in April 2019. Prior to this, Peter worked for Stockdale Securities, which he joined in December 2015. Before this he worked for Charles Stanley Securities, which he joined in 2002. Prior to this he worked for Teather & Greenwood, Albert E Sharp, Citicorp Scrimgeour Vickers and SG Warburg among others. He has specialised in the smaller companies sector for over 25 years, having covered a broad range of both Main Market and AIM companies.

Sam is Managing Director – UK Smaller Companies, having joined Close Asset Management Limited in September 2008 from Unicorn Asset Management. He runs the Smaller Companies team at Close Brothers, managing AIM-quoted IHT, EIS and segregated portfolios. Sam has extensive experience in managing smaller company funds and is a holder of both the Investment Management Certificate and the CISI Diploma.

Max joined Stifel in September 2013 as Head of European Healthcare Equity Research. Prior to joining Stifel, Max was Chief Financial Officer of Silence Therapeutics plc. He possesses more than 25 years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry experience, having held key management positions with leading development-stage companies, as well as establishing several highly rated equity research teams at a number of investment banks. He has also been involved in raising over $1bn for biotech companies. 

Max holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Kent and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen.

Dominic heads Zeus Capital’s Corporate Broking and Birmingham operations, having been a key member of the team since joining in June 2013. Prior to this, Dominic was one of the founders of Arden Partners in 2002, and Headed Albert E Sharp’s Birmingham Institutional department. Post the flotation of Arden in July 2006 he joined GIL Investments, the private equity vehicle of the late David Grove OBE before returning to Arden as Head of Corporate Broking.

Nick helps schools, charities and businesses with a wide range of employment and HR issues. He deals with day to day advisory work for organisations in relation to disciplinary and grievance matters and also drafts tailored employment contracts, policies and procedures and employee handbooks. Nick acts for independent schools of all sizes and understands the specific HR issues that arise for schools. He has particular expertise in advising on internal restructures and reorganisations as well as TUPE transfers.

Tom is Protiviti’s UK Country Market Leader and a highly experienced technology consultant. He joined Protiviti in 2004 to help launch the UK business, having previously worked at one of the ‘Big 4’ consulting firms in their Technology Risk division. Tom has considerable experience providing technology consulting solutions to large global financial services firms and organisations across many other industries.  He specialises in topics such as operational resilience, cyber security, data privacy, identity and access management, IT change and transformation, IT governance, IT risk management, cloud, and project risk management.

Anna is an experienced Fund Manager specialising in UK equities. Anna joined the Amati team in 2018 from Adam and Company, where she led research for the PAM award-winning wealth manager. She brings her expertise in running the successful AIM-listed portfolio service to Amati, as well as a breadth of experience in managing substantial OEICs, private client and charity portfolios. She co-managed the Adam Worldwide Fund and the Stewart Ivory Investment Markets Fund which won three Lipper Awards under her stewardship. Anna contributes regularly to BBC Scotland.

Judith is Partner and Head of Downing Fund Managers, having joined Downing LLP in October 2009 and founded Downing Fund Managers. Judith also manages the Downing Strategic Microcap Investment Trust and other micro-cap mandates, and has a 22 year track record in small and micro-cap investing. Previously she was a partner at Acuity Capital, a buy-out from Electra Private Equity, where she managed small company assets with an activist strategy. Prior to this, Judith spent nine years with Aberdeen Asset Management Growth Capital as Co-Fund Manager of five Aberdeen VCTs, where she focused on technology and media investments in both the public and private arenas. Judith holds a number of directorships and is a Non Executive Director of the Quoted Company Alliance and Non Executive Director and Chairperson Designate of the Quoted Companies Alliance.

Fraser has had a 26-year career in the UK equity markets, working in sales and corporate broking. His focus has always been on advising and raising funds for UK companies. He started his career with Kleinwort Benson in 1994 before joining Evolution Securities in 2002, at its inception, managing the Equity Sales desk. In 2008, Fraser joined Collins Stewart to run the small-cap franchise and then joined The Royal Bank of Canada in 2009 as part of the rollout of its European Equities platform. Subsequently, Fraser joined Arden Partners in 2017, as Head of Equities and a member of its Senior Management team. Fraser joined WH Ireland in 2020 as Head of Capital Markets.

Julian is an Executive Director and Head of Growth Companies at Cenkos and was a founding member of the team in 2006. He has over 23 years’ experience in the City in sales and as an analyst. He has led and worked on over 250 transactions in his career and before Cenkos was a Director at Beeson Gregory and Evolution Securities.

We are delighted to welcome Mark to the Voting Panel and further information will be available in due course. 

Richard joined CRUX Asset Management in June 2018 from Legal & General Investment Management. Richard has been Fund Manager of the FP CRUX UK Special Situations Fund since it launched in October 2018. Richard had worked at LGIM for 15 years, where he had managed the award-winning L&G UK Alpha Trust and L&G UK Special Situations Trust, as well as several segregated mandates. Richard has a Master’s degree in Engineering and Economics from Oxford University.

Richard is Head of the Quoted Smaller Companies team at Octopus, having joined in 2004. He has over 25 years’ experience of managing UK smaller companies funds and is in charge of managing the FP Octopus UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund. Richard has also worked at Close Brothers and Duncan Lawrie.

Brough is a Corporate Broke in the Healthcare team at Investec, previously he spent 25 years as a Healthcare Specialist Salesman at a number of brokers including Nomura, Merrill Lynch, ING, Singer Capital Markets and Investec.

Philip is the Founder of Raynar Portfolio Management and Portfolio Manager of the Raynar Flagship Strategy. Philip is a multi-award-winning investor specialising in UK equities. He was named Investment Week UK Smaller Companies Fund Manager of the Year 2010 and 2011 during his tenure at Investec Asset Management and the Financial Express UK Smaller Companies Alpha Fund Manager 2016 during his tenure at R&M Asset Management where he also created and managed the winner of What Investment Trust’s UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust of the Year 2017. Awarded the prestigious cross-asset accolade of Morningstar Outstanding Rising Talent 2012, Philip has two decades of experience investing in the UK market, with a particular focus on AiM listed firms.

Neil (not to be confused with the legendary Neil Shah at Edison) joined the London Stock Exchange in July 2020 to lead business development for the Tech sector. He was previously an investment banker focused on the tech sector for 15+ years. He started his career in the global technology investment banking team at Dresdner Kleinwort in London before joining US-boutique firm, Thomas Weisel Partners where he co-founded TWP’s European Technology practice with Simon Russell. Following TWP’s acquisition by Stifel, Neil helped build out Stifel’s offering beyond global M&A into Equities with Arno Goboyan and built a tech broking franchise with Fred Walsh, Alex Price, George O’Connor, Lee Simpson and Luke Holbrook. 

In July 2020, Marcus Stuttard gave Neil an offer he could not refuse, to join the London Stock Exchange and help more entrepreneurs access and succeed in public markets.

Neil studied Economics at The London School of Economics and lives in East London with his wife and two boys.

Paul heads up the quoted investment team and is based in the London office. Paul has over 15 years’ experience investing in listed companies, having worked in the Quoted Smaller Companies Equities team at Octopus Investments, where he contributed to the outperformance of funds-under-management during that time.

Paul focuses on identifying investment opportunities in AIM listed companies as part of the BGF Quoted offering, which is supported by BGF’s nationwide investment team. He has recently joined the BGF Investment Committee.

Victoria joined the Economic Advantage team at Liontrust in 2015 as a Partner and Fund Manager, to help research and analyse investment opportunities primarily across the small cap universe. She is a CFA charterholder and co-manager of the Liontrust UK Smaller Companies Fund and the Liontrust UK Micro-Cap Fund. Victoria previously worked at the growth company specialist broking and advisory firm finnCap Ltd, latterly as Deputy Head of Corporate Broking.

Marcus is Head of AIM and has responsibility for Primary Markets in the UK across both AIM and the Main Market. He is responsible for the management and development of AIM, London Stock Exchange’s international growth market for small and medium sized enterprises.

He is a regular speaker on growth and business funding issues and sits on a number of industry and policy advisory bodies and has played a leading role in key policy changes such as making AIM shares eligible for inclusion in ISAs, the abolition of stamp duty on the trading of shares admitted to Recognised Growth Markets such as AIM and the approval of AIM as the leading European SME Growth Market, a categorisation created in MiFID II. 

Leyla (Managing Director) has specialised in delivering C-Suite searches since 2005. Leyla is recognised as one of the UK’s leading headhunters for SME businesses, with a network that is second to none. She has worked extensively in placing both Executive and Non-Executive directors into AIM listed PLCs, privately owned/family owned and PE backed businesses. She is a trusted advisor to clients in her network and is a member of the LSE North West Advisory Group. 

Starting with Robert Half in 2001, Leyla quickly established herself as one of Manchester’s most trusted executive search consultants. In 2010, she set up Tindall Perry Partnership, a boutique recruitment firm, broadening her experience in partnering public company, private equity backed, and privately owned enterprises in the appointment of key executive hires.

Leyla has recruited into: FMCG, industrial, consumer products, retail, travel and leisure, eCommerce, financial services and supply chain/logistics. 

Outside of work, Leyla is a mother of two daughters residing in Didsbury, Manchester and enjoys skiing, walking the family Welsh Terrier, Rocky and fundraising for Maggie’s Manchester. 

James has over 35 years’ experience in the City, initially joining the Asset Management department of Montagu Loebl Stanley (part of the Robert Fleming Group) in 1986 before going on to work at Greig Middleton, Seymour Pierce Butterfield and Henry Cooke Lumsden, followed by 16 years in corporate broking and institutional sales (latterly as Director of Equities at Charles Stanley Securities). James is a member of both the PLC Awards jury panel and the LSE AIM Advisory Group. He joined Winterflood Securities in November 2015.

Matt is the founder and MD of ONE Advisory, a firm of 40 professionals providing Corporate Governance, Co-sec and Compliance services as well as Financial Reporting services to over 75 AIM Companies. Matt has more than 20 years’ growth company advisory experience, especially with AIM companies, and has acted as Non-executive Directors of AIM companies since 2006. Before setting up ONE Advisory, Matt worked in corporate finance at Beeson Gregory and Evolution Securities. Matt is a chartered accountant and holds a first class degree in Economics.