The chief executive of a Greater Manchester technology company that achieved unicorn status last year has joined a new taskforce that will aim to to drive through financial reforms to help increase London's attraction for global investors.
Matthew Scullion, who founded Altrincham-based Matillion has been named as a member of the new UK Capital Markets Industry Taskforce that has been launched by the London Stock Exchange.
Its members also include senior figures from the likes of KPMG UK, GSK and Barclays.
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A company can achieve unicorn status by being valued at more than $1bn, a mark Matillion surpassed in 2021.
London competes with the likes of New York and now with cities including Amsterdam ever since the UK left the EU.
In a statement, LSEG said the group will work to "implement and embed those changes and indeed in some places re-evaluate and challenge how parts of our markets currently operate and where further change is required".
Its chair Julia Hoggett, who is CEO of the London Stock Exchange, said: "Strengthening our financial ecosystem and thereby improving the competitiveness of the UK capital markets is a continuous task.
"It is vital to ensure the UK capital markets continue to provide efficient access to capital, which enables businesses to start, grow, scale and stay here, and provide all savers and investors with access to the best possible assets, generating the best possible growth potential.
"I am honoured to chair the UK Capital Markets Industry Taskforce. This is a great opportunity to work with senior practitioners across the financial markets to build on the momentum of the UK market reviews and reforms, and ensure our markets are right for future generations."
The inaugural taskforce members are:
- Exchange: Julia Hoggett, CEO, LSE plc (chair)
- Lawyer: Mark Austin, corporate partner, Freshfields, chair of UK Secondary Capital Raising Review and Listing Authority Advisory Panel chair
- Corporate and Investment Bank: Katharine Braddick, group head of strategic policy and advisor to the group CEO, Barclays Plc
- Asset Manager: Peter Harrison, CEO, Schroders
- Venture Capital Investor: Klaus Hommels, VC and Lakestar founder
- Pension Funds/Insurer: Nicholas Lyons, chairman, Phoenix Group
- Private Company CEO: Matthew Scullion, CEO and founder, Matillion
- Advisory/Audit/Accountancy: Dr Kay Swinburne, vice chair of financial services at KPMG UK
- Listed Company Chair: Sir Jonathan Symonds, chairman, GSK Plc
Mr Scullion added: "The UK has made enormous progress in becoming one of the best places in the world to found a high growth company.
"Recent reforms bring further opportunities to create world leading companies in high growth sectors but if the UK is to create the next Apple or Alphabet, we need an ecosystem which allows companies to be scaled from the UK.
" I am delighted to join this taskforce which aims to do just that, ensuring companies can access the capital and support they need at every stage to scale globally whilst calling the UK their home."
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