BGF appoints investor to strengthen its Manchester team

BGF has expanded its Manchester team with the appointment of Courtney Walker as investor.

Courtney joins BGF from Clearwater International, where she worked as an associate in the M&A team, advising on deals ranging from £50 million to £400 million, including the firm’s first IPO. Prior to this, she worked as an analyst at DC Advisory, predominantly focussing on buy-side transactions.

In her previous roles, Courtney has worked alongside both entrepreneurs/management teams and private equity houses, with the shared aim of helping all parties achieve their strategic aims. She also has experience across a broad range of sectors, including industrial, consumer and business services.

At BGF, Courtney will be responsible for supporting the team with transactions, and will be involved in all aspects of the investment process, from origination through to execution and completion.

Neil Inskip, head of BGF in the North West and the Midlands, said: “Attracting and retaining talent is a key aim for many businesses in the current climate and, at BGF, we’re no different. We want to hire the brightest and best investors to help support our ambitions not only as an investor, but also those of our current and future portfolio.

“Courtney has quickly established herself in the North West investment community and we’re delighted to have her onboard, as we continue to invest significantly in fast-growth, entrepreneurial businesses across the region.”

To date, BGF has invested £454 million in the North West, with £46 million so far in 2022, with recent deals including a £15 million investment in international freight logistics and express courier specialist, ITD Global, together with the highly successful exits of Liverpool-based Sentric to Swiss music fintech company, Utopia Music; PTSG’s acquisition of NSS; and CurrentBody’s sale to eComplete.

 One of the things I loved about being on the sell-side was working with skilled entrepreneurs and management teams. At BGF, I’m really looking forward to continuing these relationships into the investment period and beyond, as I work alongside business owners and management teams to support them in achieving their strategic growth ambitions.

Courtney Walker, BGF investor