People

Tariq Attia

CEO

Tariq leads the firm with a focus on strategic growth and innovation. He is an active member of the Investment Committee and has a vision to transform SME investments in the UK. Tariq has been instrumental in advising and directing a substantial network of High Net Worth Individuals, Wealth Managers, Family Offices, and IFAs, resulting in the successful investment of hundreds of millions of pounds into UK SMEs.

Tariq has been with IW Capital for over 13 years, during which he played a key role in the firm’s development before facilitating a management buyout to become CEO.

Before IW Capital, Tariq gained valuable experience working in the Treasury Department at National Australia Bank, where he developed a deep understanding of financial markets and risk management. This was followed by extensive experience in venture capital and private equity investments, which has positioned him as a trusted advisor in the industry.

Tariq holds a BSc in Economics from Henley Business School at the University of Reading, along with the Investment Advice Diploma. He is also a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

Alan Armstrong

Chairman, Head of Investment

Alan is the Chairman of IW Capital and the Head of Investment, leading all investment activity and chairing IW Capital’s Investment Committee. Together with Tariq, Alan led the MBO of IW Capital in 2024.

Alan has over 35 years of private equity and ‘hands on’ business experience. Alan was with NatWest Equity Partners (Bridgepoint Group) through the 1990’s where he led and managed PE investments in UK SMEs, prior to buying into and managing a group of international businesses through a management buy-in, supported by a private equity partner. With this combined experience, Alan understands the needs of entrepreneurs and private equity investors. After exiting the MBI, through a sale of his equity, Alan acted as a ‘hands on’ consultant, managing and improving underperforming businesses before being invited to return to private equity to become one of the forming Partners of Rockpool Investments in 2011. At Rockpool, Alan was Head of Investment in its formative period, prior to joining IW Capital in 2013.

Under Alan’s stewardship, IW Capital has invested over £150 million in growth capital investments across a wide range of companies and sectors and he sits on the Board of a number of IW Capital’s portfolio companies, working closely with the management teams.

Alan read Economics and Accounting at Newcastle University and has been a member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment for 30 years.

Jasper Falk

Investment Committee Member

Jasper is a partner at Ekins Guinness, a fund management and investment research firm. He has over 20 years of experience in Investment Banking having established and managed JPMorgan’s Global Inflation trading business which assisted clients in hedging and managing liabilities.

He was also a member of the Fixed Income Management Committee. Jasper read Engineering and Management Studies at St Catharine’s College Cambridge, and holds the Financial Times Non-Executive Director Diploma.

Toby Franklin

Investment Committee Member

Toby is a partner of a private equity fund making investments in financial services companies. He currently serves on the Boards of four investee companies. He has more than 15 years’ experience in small and mid-market private equity, in his current role and previously at Bregal Capital LLP.

His earlier career was spent in both strategy and finance roles at a variety of FTSE listed financial institutions. Toby has an MBA from the Tuck School, Dartmouth College and a BSc from the University of Warwick.

David Fisher

Senior Investment Director

David is a Senior Investment Director with over 20 years’ experience in venture, seed and scale-up investing. David has a demonstrable track record of investing in a range of sectors including software, media and consumer technologies, marketplaces, SaaS and business services.

David has extensive Board experience helping the founders he has backed to achieve their goals. David was previously Investor Director at Edge Investments and Elderstreet Investments.

Prior to working in venture capital, David worked for ten years in corporate finance and strategy consulting at Deloitte and KPMG.

Alex Petri

Investment Director

Alex has over 15 years of investment experience with a key role in sourcing, investing, and managing new businesses and technologies.

Prior to joining IW Capital, he spent a number of years managing investments for UK Private Equity and Venture Capital funds, building comprehensive strategies for global SMEs, and managing a portfolio of large infrastructure investments in Latin America.

Alex is an Engineer and a City University of London MBA Graduate with a concentration in investment management.

Isobel Egemole

Investment Director

Isobel has over 6 years’ investment experience in venture and scale-up investing and is responsible for originating, leading and managing new investments and portfolio assets at IW Capital. Isobel’s expertise spans various sectors, with a particular focus on high growth companies in technology, consumer and healthcare sectors.

Prior to joining IW Capital, she spent 4 years at Midven and Future Planet Capital investing in high growth SME’s and working with management teams through to exit.

Isobel holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Warwick, a Certificate in Corporate Finance and is an Associate member of the CISI.

Charlie Lyon Carroll

Investment Director

Charlie has over 14 years of investment experience in both public markets, growth and venture capital. Prior to joining IW Capital, he spent 8 years at Codex Capital as a Principal, where he sourced, executed, and monitored growth equity investments across a range of sectors, including Tech, Consumer and Leisure.

He sat on the Boards of two businesses in the consumer and leisure sectors and acted as the interim Chief Investment Officer of one.

Charlie is a CFA Charterholder and studied Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh.

Michael Higley

Senior Investor Relations

Michael is an accomplished small cap private equity professional with 15 years’ experience within the tax efficient space. Michael works closely with High Net Worth Individuals, Sophisticated investors, IFA’s and intermediary clients to help them invest in private companies.

Michael holds a BA (Hons) degree in leisure business and sports management from Cardiff University and is a member of the CISI.

Matthew Burke

Senior Investor Relations

Matthew joined IW Capital with over a decade of experience in corporate and SME funding activities.

He has successfully secured over £50 million in fundraising across various sectors. His early career involved broking FTSE 100 companies and quoted securities.

Matthew is a member of the CISI.

Darius Braun

Investor Relations

Darius joins IW Capital after spending the early part of his career working in Wealth Management and Business Consultancy.

He has experience of working closely with High Net Worth and Sophisticated Investors, raising funds for US Hedge Funds and Property Development deals as well as unlisted UK investments.

Darius is a member of the CISI.

James Kilford

Head of Client Services

James is Head of Client Services at IW Capital.

James has more than 11 years experience in financial services, the majority of that time with Triple Point and has previously scaled and managed strong performing client services teams that keep the investor at the heart of everything they do.

James is passionate about continuous improvement and helping to facilitate the best possible investor journey.

James holds the CISI Investment Operations Certificate, ICSA Certificate in Company Secretarial and Share Registration Practice and also holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Kent.

Dipesh is part of the Client Services team at IW Capital, where he ensures that clients needs and enquiries are dealt with as high priority and in an effective manner.

Prior to joining, he spent 4 years working in an executive search firm, where he serviced global financial services firms with a focus on emerging and frontier markets.

Dipesh holds a degree-level qualification in Financial Economics.

Ellie Rose

Client Services & EA to Tariq Attia, CEO

Ellie is EA to IW Capital’s CEO, Tariq Attia, and is part of the Client Services team. She manages the day-to-day operational tasks for the office and is committed to providing excellent support both as an EA and as a member of the Client Services team.

Ellie has three years of experience at IW Capital and excels in assisting with all aspects of administration across the business.

She holds a BA (Hons) degree from Nottingham Trent University.