NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance

Adam Lovell is a venture capital investor at Mercia Asset Management PLC, based in Manchester and investing nationwide. He focuses on Series A stage companies, with typical investments ranging from £3m to £6m.

Alex Gwyther is an investor in Mercia's VCT funds, working on deal origination, leading transactions, portfolio management and exits. Before joining Mercia in 2021, he spent seven years in science and technology, first as a science policy advisor for the UK government and then as a consultant and client manager at IBM. He studied Biology at the University of Oxford and Science Communication at Imperial College London.

Chris Borrett is an Investment Manager at Mercia Asset Management PLC, where he provides business loans through the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF II) and Mercia. His work focuses on SME loan funding for established businesses seeking growth across Yorkshire and the Humber, with particular attention to York and North Yorkshire. Mercia, the fund manager delivering NPIF II, offers loans ranging from £100,000 to £2 million alongside equity support of up to £5 million.

Chris McCourt joined Mercia in 2023 as Investment Director for the North East Venture Fund, focusing on early-stage and technology investments across Durham, Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear. A Chartered Accountant (FCA) with over 20 years of experience, he has advised shareholders and directors on growth, fundraising, acquisitions, and business sales. His prior roles include working at PwC in Newcastle and London, serving as Chief Operating Officer at the North East England Chamber of Commerce, and spending eight years as a Corporate Finance Partner at regional accountancy practices.

Adam Watts joined Mercia Ventures in November 2021 and works on the VCT investment team, focusing on sourcing, transacting, and managing investments in B2B software and the wider technology sector. He previously spent two and a half years at Wealth Club handling EIS investments in technology businesses, and before that trained as a Chartered Accountant at EY and worked in Deloitte's Financial Advisory restructuring team. He holds a first-class BSc in Economics from the University of Southampton.

Andy Clough is an Investment Manager in Mercia's Debt Team, providing NPIF Debt funding mainly to established companies seeking to grow across the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding area. He joined Mercia in March 2022, having spent 18 months as a commercial finance broker and worked with the Business Enterprise Fund delivering the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund's micro-finance for SMEs. Earlier in his career he spent 16 years at Yorkshire Bank in retail and commercial banking roles.

Chris Borrett joined Mercia in 2023 as an Investment Director on the Equity Team, where he focuses on originating and executing early-stage deals in high-growth companies and supporting the existing portfolio. He previously worked with Boston Consulting Group's corporate venturing arm, helping build and invest in new start-ups across APAC, and later ran Flip Insurance, an insurtech backed by HCF Group. He co-founded the Australian chapter of Leaders For Climate Action, has mentored founders in Australia, Europe, and Africa, and holds a Master's degree in Physics with a background in data science.

Diane Seymour-Williams is Chair at SEI and holds non-executive director positions across asset management, wealth technology, private markets, and venture capital, as well as serving as an independent member of the Valuation Committee of Chrysalis Investments Limited. Her executive career in investment management spanned roles including portfolio manager, chief investment officer, chief executive officer, and distribution head, with a specialization in Asia and experience across Europe and North America. She has chaired remuneration, ESG, and investment performance and risk committees, and completed the University of Cambridge's sustainable finance course in 2021.

A qualified CA(SA) with B.Acc degrees from Stellenbosch University, focused on analysis and valuation.

Chairman of AP Ventures LLP who also chairs the Investment Committee and the Limited Partner Advisory Committee. She has more than 25 years in finance, including a leadership role at Robert W Baird.

Amy Westwood is Group Brand Manager at Mercia Asset Management PLC, where she works on brand growth, visual communication, and marketing operations, including campaign strategy and market analysis. She holds a Master's degree in Visual Communication and is currently studying for an MBA. Her areas of focus include graphic design and copywriting.

Ben Boocock is Head of Marketing and Communications at Mercia Asset Management PLC. He has worked for approximately a decade across venture capital, private equity, asset management and investor relations, focusing on brand strategy, investor content programmes and marketing aligned with fundraising objectives. His experience includes building and leading marketing teams, managing website transformations and developing board-level KPIs linking marketing to capital-raising goals.

Charlie Smith is Group Brand Manager at Mercia Asset Management PLC, working across brand growth, visual communication, and marketing operations. Smith holds a Master's degree in Visual Communication and is currently studying for an MBA, with experience in graphic design and copywriting.

Connor Murphy joined Mercia in September 2024 with a background in accounting and investment consulting. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance and started his career as an Audit Associate at Grant Thornton. He later worked for two years as an Associate Investment Consultant, advising pension schemes on investment strategies and supporting trustees with regulatory guidance.

Adam Lovell is an Investment Director at Mercia Ventures, focusing on B2B software investments at Series A and beyond, with interests in cybersecurity and enterprise SaaS. He trained as a Chartered Accountant at EY in London, spending seven years in audit and transaction services advising founders and private equity investors, before moving to a Manchester corporate finance house in 2017. He joined Mercia in 2021 and holds a BSc in Accounting and Financial Management from Loughborough University.

Alice Grieve joined Mercia in 2016 as a consultant and became an employee in 2018, where she oversees Group-wide anti-money laundering and data-protection systems and controls and supports the Compliance Director in meeting regulatory requirements. She is a member of Mercia's O2 Committee. Her background is in economic growth and development and financial services, having previously provided consultancy to private and public sector entities on regional investment and entrepreneurship.

Alison Dwyer joined Mercia in August 2019 to lead its marketing and communications, overseeing the firm's communications strategy and brand development. She has over 20 years of experience leading marketing and communications teams in-house and agency-side across multiple sectors and countries, including professional services, financial services, government and technology.

Amber Jardine joined Mercia in 2024 as a Portfolio Support Manager. Before Mercia, she launched and managed an institutional investment fund for Twinkl Educational Publishing. Over the previous five years she has mainly supported and advised early-stage technology companies in the UK.

Amrit Sami is an Investor at Mercia Ventures, focusing on companies in energy, manufacturing, supply chains and frontier technologies. He previously worked at Symvan Capital, where he led B2B SaaS transactions and represented the fund on four company boards, and earlier served as a Venture Scout for Ada Ventures, worked at two accelerators, and held engineering roles at healthcare, energy and FMCG companies. He holds First Class Honours in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bath.

Amy Westwood works in marketing and visual communication, focusing on brand growth, communication strategy, graphic design, and copywriting. She holds a Master's degree in Visual Communication and is currently pursuing an MBA.

Arun Fernandez holds an Economics degree from the University of Manchester and began his career at a fintech startup. He previously worked at Innovate Finance, the UK's fintech industry body, where he managed a 250-member founder network, and at Schroders Investment Management, where he led startup and VC engagement and worked on partnerships with fintech and AI companies. He joined Mercia in 2026, where he focuses on building portfolio community and platform initiatives to support scaling companies.

Austin Beckett is Group Brand Manager at Mercia Asset Management PLC, working across brand growth, visual communication, and marketing operations. Beckett's areas of focus include campaign strategy, market analysis, graphic design, and copywriting. Beckett holds a Master's degree in Visual Communication and is currently studying for an MBA.

Ben Boocock joined Mercia in March 2026 as a Finance Operations Manager, working within the Finance team on the Group's tax-efficient products alongside the EIS and VCT teams. He previously spent three years at Ascot Lloyd Investment Management, progressing from Investment Analyst to Senior Investment Operations Analyst. He holds a certificate in Investment Management from the CFA Institute and a 1st Class BSc in Finance from Coventry University.

Caroline Simpkin joined Mercia in 2013 as an Assistant Accountant in the Preston office and handles accounting tasks across the firm's managed funds, including sales, purchase and nominal ledger reconciliations, bank transfers for the Mercia EIS Funds, and administration of the debt funds such as loan repayment schedules for NPIF and EV SME Loans. She previously worked in the aerospace manufacturing industry managing ledgers, payroll and month-end procedures, and is AAT qualified.

Ceri Bailey joined Mercia in 2015 as Group Financial Controller and moved to her current role in 2021, working within the Fund Coordination function and collaborating with Mercia's Managing Directors, Fund Principals, and the Operations and Investment teams on working practices, system improvements, and process standardisation. She is a PwC-trained chartered accountant with over 20 years of experience in operational audit, finance manager, and financial controller roles, primarily at listed software and manufacturing businesses. She holds a joint honours degree in French and Management Science from Keele University.

Claire Evans joined Mercia in July 2025 to lead its compliance monitoring function, ensuring the firm meets its regulatory, legal, and internal policy obligations. She began her career in automotive sales before moving into automotive compliance, working with the Risk & Compliance Director of a car-finance brokerage on regulatory processes and Consumer Duty. At Mercia she oversees compliance monitoring across the group and the SM&CR regime.

Clare Houghton is a Business Development Manager at Mercia, where she supports financial advisers looking to offer tax-efficient investments to their clients. She previously worked as an Independent Financial Adviser at HSBC and later Lighthouse Group, and has more recent experience in business development within the EIS space.

Kay Smith is Chief Executive Officer at Mercia Asset Management PLC. Smith has a background in the venture capital and private equity industry, with experience in business planning, management, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions.

Magali Christensen is a Key Account Manager at Mercia Asset Management PLC, having previously worked as a Business Development Manager in the financial services industry. Her areas of experience include investment advisory, personal financial planning, high net worth individuals, and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP). She is a graduate of Wolverhampton Girls High School.

Rocío Boza is Chief Executive Officer at Mercia Asset Management PLC. She has worked in the venture capital and private equity industry, with experience in areas including business planning, corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, and start-ups.

Tiago Borges is a Portfolio Manager at Mercia Asset Management PLC, working within Mercia Ventures on seed and Series A investments in the UK. His work focuses on the East Midlands, covering the life sciences, software, deep tech, and consumer sectors.

Tristan Edwards is a venture capital investor at Mercia Asset Management PLC. Based in Manchester, he invests nationwide at the Series A stage, with typical investments ranging from £3m to £6m.