Member Article

BGF hires new investor to bolster Midlands team

BGF – one of the largest and most experienced growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland – has appointed a new investor to strengthen its Midlands team.

Kyle Long joins from KPMG, where he spent more than four years in the firm’s corporate finance team, specialising in the TMT sector and advising on a range of transactions. This included sell-side and buy-side M&A, leveraged buy-outs and debt and equity financing. During his career, the qualified chartered accountant has worked alongside a number of owner-managed, private equity-backed and listed clients.

At BGF, Kyle will be responsible for all aspects of the investment process, from identifying and executing minority, non-controlling investments, to supporting new and existing management teams as they strive to achieve their long-term goals. He will be based at BGF’s Birmingham office.

Neil Inskip, head of BGF in the Midlands, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Kyle to BGF, as we continue to extend our reach in the Midlands market.

“With an experienced team of talented individuals, we are perfectly positioned to support ambitious management teams with a vision for growth and the potential to capitalise on market opportunities, particularly those in resilient and thriving sectors.”

Kyle said: “I’m hugely excited to be part of BGF and its unique approach to investment that centres on partnership working, a supportive nature and a strong balance sheet, which enables us to support the growth ambitions of dynamic founders and management teams – companies that are making a positive impact on the local economy and the diverse sector capabilities of the Midlands.” Kyle’s appointment follows the arrival of Sam Giurani as investor in the Nottingham team. Prior to joining BGF, Sam spent three years in investment banking advising on M&A, private capital raises and debt issuances, after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at EY. He has extensive experience working alongside corporate clients as part of the M&A process, as well as advising clients looking to raise private capital.

Last year, BGF invested £42.5 million into the local Midlands growth economy, delivering a series of strong exits in the region that generated combined returns of £148 million and an average money multiple of more than 2.5x. In total, BGF has invested £600 million into the Midlands, supporting fast-growing and entrepreneurial companies, such as It’s Fresh, Cheesecake Energy, UK Flooring Direct and MyZone.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ian Jones .