Marc Barber is managing editor of Vitesse Media and editor of Business XL.
Before joining Vitesse, he spent three years as editor of The Accountant and International Accounting Bulletin.

Alan Bristow is the Founder and Managing Director of ICON Corporate Finance. ICON is an award winning firm of corporate finance advisers that acts exclusively for companies and management teams in high growth technology sectors, including: IT, CleanTech, MedTech, New Media, Telecoms, Defence, Security, Services, Internet Technologies and e-Commerce

Alan is recognised as one of the country's leading corporate finance advisers and has over 20 years of combined fund raising and M&A experience. Throughout this period Alan has dealt with some of the world's leading investors and technology companies. He specializes in all aspects of raising venture capital, management buy-outs, acquisitions and corporate sales and has advised on over 200 transactions.

Before establishing ICON, he spent four years in Australia as the Finance Director of an Australian Investment Group and prior to this worked for Price Waterhouse in Melbourne. He holds a degree in Economics and Politics and is a qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

He is a frequent speaker and author on venture capital fundraising.

In 2004 Jamie formed RCapital which specialises in providing turnaround funding and management expertise to companies in financial distress. RCapital has extensive operational experience and strong insolvency law know-how. In a period of six years the business has built a reputation as one of the main players in the restructuring market.

Paul is corporate finance partner at Baker Tilly, advising Plcs, private equity houses, private companies, and management teams.  He also heads the Accelerated M&A team, acting for corporates and lenders in distressed situations.  

Paul has led transactions, including turnarounds, throughout Europe, including in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.  He has also acted on numerous City Code transactions, including take-privates.

Paul also has considerable private equity expertise, and has advised or sold companies to many PE houses, including Alchemy, Primary Capital, Duke Street, Rutland, Agilo, Cinven, and Goldman Sachs.

Paul was previously a partner at KPMG Corporate Finance, and led the European Support Services sector team.

Following graduation from Cambridge University and law school, Jeremy joined Clifford Chance, the international corporate law firm. Since qualifying as a lawyer in 1991 Jeremy has specialised in M&A in the public and private company arenas.

Jeremy joined Livingstone in 1993, he has led deals in a variety of sectors including defence and automotive engineering, printing and packaging, building products and consultancy.

Jeremy is primarily responsible for leading the firm's Business Services sector team but is also active in the Defence and Security sector. Jeremy has played an active role in developing Livingstone's international M&A capability.

Peter is the head of our lead advisory team in the London office specialising in mergers & acquisitions. He focuses on advising on private equity and M&A deals. He has also advised on a substantial number of management buy-outs and acquisition advisory assignments.

Peter joined BDO’s corporate finance department in 1989 and became a partner in 1994. He trained as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells.
Peter was educated at Brentwood School, Essex and Cambridge University.

Mo Merali is Head of Private Equity and a Transaction Advisory Services partner based in London.  Mo specialises in providing buy-side advisory and due diligence services to a wide variety of private equity investors, debt providers and corporate buyers and has a particular focus on Media, Healthcare and Financial Services sectors, having led transactions for Lifeways Community Care, Cannon Capital, Oval Group, Boat International Publications, Incisive Media and Ten Alps.  He has been involved in a significant number of cross-border transactions, most notably between the UK and India.

Richard is a director of NBGI Private Equity, a business that he has helped to develop into a leading lower mid-market buy-out house from its establishment in 2000. NBGI had an outstanding track record of performance with its first UK fund and is now investing its second UK fund as well as other European funds, with over €800 million under management.
Richard's previous career included six years as a corporate finance partner with PwC and three years as finance director of a building products manufacturer. 

Roger is Chairman of four publicly quoted media companies:  

•    Media Square plc (marketing communications)
•    (Future plc (consumer media including Total Film and Digital Camera )
•    Mobile Streams plc ( mobile media in Europe, USA, Asia )
•    YouGov plc (online market research, UK, USA, Europe)

He has also works with several private equity firms. He is Chairman of Shakespeare’s Globe Trust and a Visiting Fellow of Oxford University.
He was CEO of  More Group plc which he sold to Clear Channel and then become Chairman and CEO of Clear Channel International. He was a founder director and Deputy Chairman of Clear Media in China. He was a founder of Internet Indirect plc and a director of New Media Spark and iTouch. Roger was a journalist with BBC and ITV, including. He worked with consultants McKinsey, advertising group WCRS and media buying group Aegis.  He was an owner of the radio stations LBC and Jazz FM.
Roger was educated at the universities of Oxford (Jesus College) M.Litt Economics and Bristol. BSc Geology    He is the author of three books:  People Businesses; Enterprise and Making Cities Work. Roger is 56, married, one son. He lives in London and Hampshire

Peter Rowell is Chairman of Regent Partners International, the company he founded in 1987. Over the years he has built it to become Europe’s leading specialist provider of acquisition and corporate finance services to the technology industry. Since its founding, Regent has completed almost 500 acquisition transactions in 40 countries. Prior to 1987, Peter was President and CEO of International Data Corporation (IDC), responsible for the worldwide operations of the market research and consulting group.

Kate Sharp has over 35 years experience in the Financial Services industry, over 20 of which have been in the Invoice Finance and Asset Based Lending industry.

In 2003 Kate was appointed Chief Executive of the Factors and Discounters Association (FDA) and has spent the past six years building the capability and the reputation of the Association; developing the range and quality of the services provided in line with the rapid developments of the industry it serves.  In July 2007 the FDA became the Asset Based Finance Association, a formal acknowledgement of the changing nature of the financial offerings from members.

Kate is an honorary fellow of the ICM, a director of the JMLSG and vice chair of the EU Forum for the Factoring and Commercial Finance Industry

David joined 3i in 1997 and leads the UK Growth Capital team. During his time at 3i, David has been a key driver of 3i's origination efforts within the UK with investments being Foster + Partners, Hyperion and Hayley Conference Centres. Previously, David specialised in corporate turnarounds and insolvency for Coopers and Lybrand in London, where he was tasked with managing distressed businesses through to recovering value for several of the UK clearing banks. David has a BSc in Economics from Bristol University and is a Chartered Accountant. He currently serves on the Board of Hyperion.

Sara founded Vitesse Media Plc in 1997 and is its chairman and chief executive. Her role includes developing the acquisition strategy, as well as leading the 50-strong team based in London. She is also editor in chief of the company's publications. Sara is a well-known business author. Over two million copies of her book, FT Guide to Small Business (formerly the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide) have been published. She is a member of the London Stock Exchange's AIM Advisory Group, holds an investment advice certificate and an MSc in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics.

Mike Wright is Professor of Financial Studies at Nottingham University Business School, and Director Centre for Management Buy-out Research, which he founded in 1986. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Ghent.  He has published over 50 books and 300 academic papers on private equity, divestment and related topics.  Mike was recently ranked number 1 worldwide for publications in entrepreneurship and is winner of the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division’s Mentor Award for 2009. He is a member of the BVCA Research Advisory Board. His latest books include Private Equity Demystified and  Management Buyouts and Private Equity. Mike has contributed extensively to the media and organised the first conference on management buyouts and private equity in 1981. He is a regular presenter at business conferences and teaches highly rated MBA courses on Private Equity.