BGF APPOINTS MIKE SIBSON AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDLANDS
Business Growth Fund (BGF), established to help the UK’s growing small and medium sized businesses, today (7 May) announced the appointment of Mike Sibson as Regional Director for the Midlands. Mike will lead investment in the region, support BGF backed companies as a board member, and will sit on the BGF’s national Investment Committee.
This is an internal promotion. Previously Mike Sibson was an Investment Director in BGF’s Aberdeen office.
Mike joined BGF in January 2012 and has established himself as a very valuable member of the team, working on a number of BGF’s early investments including Portsmouth based Magma Global, a designer and manufacturer of unique ranges of high performance carbon fibre pipe for subsea oil and gas applications.
Mike was originally a drilling engineer with Shell, where he worked mostly in exploration in West Africa. He subsequently studied for an MBA at Insead in Fontainebleau, France, from where he joined 3i in Birmingham. After spending time in both Birmingham and Cambridge, Mike moved to Aberdeen in 2004. He was subsequently appointed joint head of 3i’s oil and gas team, where he was responsible for a number of investments. Mike is a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Sainsbury Management Fellow.
Stephen Welton, Chief Executive of BGF commented:
“This is a critically important role. The Midlands is a big region with enormous potential. Mike will add even more firepower to the great team we already have in Birmingham, helping to build our presence and relevance to Midlands based SMEs.This is BGF’s first senior internal promotion; a sign that we are growing up and a further demonstration of our commitment to staff development.”
Mike Sibson said:
“I am really looking forward to returning to the Midlands and working with current BGF investors based in Birmingham. They are an experienced and ambitious team, and together I believe we can build on BGF’s early successes to develop a strong regional presence and local connections with businesses.There are many businesses in the Midlands that could benefit from the financial support and expertise that the BGF is offering as a partnership investor. I would urge business owners to come and talk to us. They will find our style direct and straightforward and our interests very much aligned with their own.I look forward to finding and funding more growing companies and talented management teams who, with our help, can achieve their growth potential.”
