Mercia Technologies PLC has appointed Dr Alistair Forbes as head of its Software & the Internet sector to lead its specialist investment team, which focuses on areas including artificial intelligence, cyber security, advertising technology and software as a service (SAAS).

HBAN (Halo Business Angel Network) has appointed Rowan Devereux to the Chair of the Bloom Equity Syndicate. Rowan succeeds Anthony Bermingham as Chair and in his new role, he aims to recruit new angels, build the profile of the syndicate and work with HBAN in selecting high potential start-ups to present at monthly syndicate meetings.

Maven Capital Partners welcomes Alex Marsh to the investment team in the North East, joining as Investment Manager to transact on behalf of Maven’s private equity funds and help manage the £20m Finance Durham Fund, announced earlier this year by Business Durham.

The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) announces that Rachel Beagles has been voted Chairman-elect of the AIC, with William Hemmings voted Deputy Chairman-elect. Their positions will come into effect after the AIC’s AGM on Wednesday 17 January 2018.

YFM Equity Partners (YFM) has tappointed Steve Harrison as Portfolio Director. Based in the Leeds office, Steve will be focussed on actively managing YFM’s growth and buy-out investments as part of the portfolio team led by David Bell. With over 19 years’ industry experience, Steve joins from Santander Corporate Bank, where he was a Director in Santander’s Growth Capital team for five years. 

As it grows funds under management and pursues a broader investment strategy managing growth and buyout capital on behalf of retail and institutional investors, Mobeus continues to invest in its portfolio management capability, appointing Clive Austin as partner to lead the team and hiring highly experienced portfolio directors Jane Reoch and Ed Wass.

Award-winning challenger law firm gunnercooke has today launched Operating Partners, a team of expert business leaders who will work with private equity firms and their portfolio companies and ambitious small and medium sized enterprises to improve their performance, increase their value and help them to scale.

BGF has announced the appointment of Andy Watts to its Talent Network team. Andy will provide support to BGF-backed companies by further expanding BGF’s network of non-executives, interim managers and experienced finance directors. 

Jenson Funding Partners is delighted to announce that Piers Denne, industry veteran, has joined as Head of Distribution.

Palamon Capital Partners has announced the appointments of Oliver Hemsley,  founder and former CEO of Numis Securities, and Josyane Gold, formerly a Partner at SJ Berwin, to its Board of Advisors.

Octopus Ventures has announced that Priscila Bala, former Director of the Mentor Network at the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, has joined its New York office. Priscila will work hand-in-hand with the firm’s London team and play a crucial role in supporting its existing portfolio scope, test and enter the US market as effectively as possible.

Octopus Ventures, one of the Europe’s leading venture capital investors, has announced that Stephen Morana has joined the team as a Venture Partner. Stephen brings with him 20 years’ experience working with some of the most successful UK digital businesses such as Betfair, Zoopla and boohoo.com.