Member Article

BGF appoints investor as it strengthens its presence in the North East

BGF – the UK and Ireland’s most active growth capital investor – has appointed John Healey as an investor, to bolster its presence in the North East market.

John joins BGF from business advisory firm, UNW, where he has spent the last eight years advising on a number of high-profile acquisition, disposal and fundraising transactions across the North East. Prior to this, John worked with the Coutts commercial banking team, before spending a decade at PwC specialising in corporate finance. With an established network, John has a strong track record in the region and will utilise that experience and expertise to forge relationships with those regional businesses going for growth.

John will join the Yorkshire & North East team and be based in BGF’s Newcastle city centre office on Grey Street. He will be responsible for all aspects of the investment process, from originating and executing new investments to supporting management teams of portfolio companies, working closely with the rest of the team in the region.

Barry Jackson, head of Yorkshire and the North East, said: “We’re delighted to welcome someone of John’s calibre to BGF with his knowledge of and connections in the local market. His experience of working in collaboration with exciting and entrepreneurial North East businesses, with a clear appetite for growth, will help to strengthen our position in the region. I look forward to building on our existing portfolio and previous investments and exits in some of the North East’s most ambitious and successful businesses.”

To date, BGF has invested more than £80 million into the North East, with recent deals including its £14 million investment in Bloom Procurement Services, headquartered in Gateshead, and its £3 million investment in the software platform, Hicomply. In the last 12 months, BGF has also successfully exited Alnwick-based, Arcinova – the multiservice contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) – together with high-growth business, J&B Recycling, generating a 2.4x return on its investment.

John commented: “Having worked in the region for nearly a decade, I have seen first-hand how much the North East has thrived thanks to the growing number of innovative companies that are eager to scale up. BGF has an excellent track record of investing in the region, with current portfolio companies, such as SaleCycle, Datum360, Bloom and premium bar operator, Arc Inspirations, all expanding in the region. We recognise the potential that exists in the local market and I’m excited to play a role in unlocking that potential even further.”

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