Listed private equity and infrastructure investment manager Foresight Group is continuing its regional expansion with Tavia Sparks and Richard Ralph joining the team to support the deployment of the Foresight North East Fund and the Foresight West Yorkshire SME Investment Fund.
The duo will focus on supporting SMEs throughout Yorkshire and the North East, providing equity and working with founders and management teams to unlock the growth potential in their companies.
The funds will invest up to £10m into a variety of transactions throughout the region.
Sparks, who joins Foresight from Santander UK, where she was director in the growth capital team, has more than 15 years experience in banking and investment.
Ralph has spent 10 years advising SMEs in the region, and was most recently an assistant director in Deloitte’s corporate finance team in Leeds.
Matt Smith, partner, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tavia and Richard and are excited to increase our presence in the North East and Yorkshire.
“Despite much of the negative news flow on the broader economic environment, we continue to see a strong pipeline of promising SMEs who are seeking funding and targeting growth throughout Yorkshire and the North East.
“Our two new funds will support economic growth and deliver a positive social and economic impact – creating high-quality, local jobs. We are confident that the Funds will replicate our successful model in the North West, Midlands, East of England and Scotland.”
