More than 320 members of the small and mid-size quoted company community attended our Anniversary Dinner this month to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. The event was sponsored by London Stock Exchange plc, with BoardEx/The Deal as supporting sponsor and Winterflood Securities sponsoring the after-dinner drinks. Guests included company directors, investors, market operators, policymakers and regulators.
Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive Officer of London Stock Exchange plc and Director of International Development of London Stock Exchange Group, spoke at the event. He said: “Ensuring small and mid-cap companies have access to growth funding, in the form of long-term patient equity capital, remains a core mission for London Stock Exchange. Supporting these businesses is essential for innovation, job creation and the future prosperity of the UK economy.
Together, London Stock Exchange and the QCA are committed to maintaining a world-class small and mid-cap environment in the UK.
Gervais Williams, our Chairman also addressed attendees, commenting: “In our 25th year the Quoted Companies Alliance has been hugely successful in working with many groups to ensure that small and mid-size quoted companies haven’t been unduly impacted by legislative and regulatory change. I have also seen first-hand the high standard of events and information that the QCA provides.
“This event epitomises the work of the QCA in leading the fight to ensure that small and mid-size quoted companies can benefit from open and healthy capital markets. It is great to see so many of our peers supporting the QCA and celebrating the health of the small-cap ecosystem. I thank London Stock Exchange for their support over the last 25 years and in sponsoring this dinner.”
Our Chief Executive, Tim Ward, added: “This gathering highlights the vitality of the small and mid-size quoted company community. The growth company ecosystem is a valuable UK asset that is essential to the future of our economy. The QCA has a 25 year track record of championing the development of this great UK asset and we will continue to do so with all the energy we can muster. The support of our members, London Stock Exchange and many other organisations is both welcome and highly valued.”
The Rt Hon the Baroness Manningham-Buller of Northampton, former head of the British Security Service (MI5), provided a captivating speech on her career and shared her thoughts on experiencing the dramatic change to the organisation whilst she was in charge. Eliza Manningham-Buller then return to the stage at the end of dinner to take questions for our eagerly awaiting guests.
The 2018 Annual Dinner will be taking place on Thursday 20 September 2018. If you would like to reserve a table please contact Samantha Green.
