Scale-Up Live 2025

Opening remarks
Simon Gray, Head of Business, ICAEW 

Welcome
Derek Blair, President, ICAEW

18:30

Sponsor welcome 
Dequan Walker, CFO & Strategic Growth Leader, Marsh International Affinity

Panel discussion
A deeper dive on some of the key themes coming out of our recent ICAEW scale-up webinar series. Our industry experts share their insights, experiences and challenges faced.

Insight to impact: turning learning into action
Engage with fellow delegates to share insights, reflect on key learnings, and commit to clear, actionable steps to help you scale your organisation.

Julie Deane CBE
Welsh entrepreneur and businesswoman. Founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company, CEO for 14 years. Entrepreneur in Residence for The British Library until 2022. Conducted Independent review of Self Employment in the UK for the Prime Minister. Served on Trade Advisory Groups for government until 2022. Public speaker; Department of International Trade Export Champion; European Business Awards Winner (European Entrepreneur of the Year). Hon Fellow Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. OBE, CBE

Simon Gray, Head of Business, ICAEW
Simon is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, who qualified with KPMG in Nottingham. After many years of volunteering, including District Society President, Chair of the Business Committee and Council Member, he joined ICAEW as Head of Business in December 2021. His background is in the recruitment, careers, membership and inward investment sectors. Simon has started and run his own businesses and served as a Non-Executive Director.

Caroline Wigham, Business Engagement Manager, ICAEW
Caroline supports our ICAEW members in business through events, webinars, content and various initiatives. She engages with our business members and ensures that their voices are heard, and their views are represented. Caroline also delivers the content and events programme for the Small and Micro Business Community, driving growth and increasing engagement. Previously, Caroline managed the delivery and development of the ICAEW life stages communities.

Derek Blair, President, ICAEW
Derek has been a Chartered Accountant since 1994. He is one of two partners at Pinkham Blair, a general practice which he co-founded in 2004. The business specialises in assisting “corporate refugees” – those who have left large organisations to set up their own business. Graduating from Essex University in Accountancy, Finance and Economics, Derek joined BDO in 1990 as an audit trainee, before moving to a small firm, Charles Rippon & Turner, based in Willesden Green, London, where he qualified as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. From there, he moved to Morgan Brown & Spofforth (MBS) in Clerkenwell as an Audit Manager and became a partner in 2001, focussing mostly on corporate finance projects. MBS subsequently became the founding firm of Vantis plc, an AIM-listed consolidator, where Derek remained until co-founding Pinkham Blair.

Dequan Walker, Chief Financial Officer & Strategic Growth Leader, Marsh International Affinity
Dequan is responsible for the financial management of Marsh’s International Affinity segment, which covers more than 60 countries. In addition to this, he also drives the Affinity growth strategy, which focuses on developing new clients, improving the existing client servicing process, expanding the business’ geographic footprint and ensuring the business works with the best-in-class ecosystem partners. In addition to his financial background, he also specialises in corporate strategy and management consulting, gaining significant experience while working in the Office of the CEO at Marsh headquarters in New York, with a responsibility for helping develop and execute on the global strategy. He previously worked in the New York banking industry in the Corporate Trust Division for The Bank of New York Mellon, before moving on to Marsh where he has spent the last 14 years.

Paul Piccirillo FCA, Business Coach, Board Advisor and Executive Coach
Paul is a business coach and board advisor who specialises in helping entrepreneurs and enterprises scale effectively and realise their full potential. With over 25 years' experience as a finance director and corporate finance advisor, he has supported high-growth SMEs across technology, wellbeing, and social enterprise sectors, completing multiple fundraisings, acquisitions, and exits. An accredited executive and Scaling Up coach, Paul has recently completed the Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme, further enabling him to support businesses in harnessing AI’s transformative potential. Paul is also a growth specialist on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme, delivered in collaboration with Saïd Business School, and a coach for ICAEW’s Network for Finance Leaders programme.

Anne Allibone FCA, Commercial Fractional CFO
Anne is a commercial fractional CFO with broad advisory and industry experience. Having trained at KPMG, in Audit for the media and technology sectors, and working as a Transactions Advisor, Anne then moved into industry. Various Finance and Operations director positions within multi-national and multi-brand organisations gave her a broad experience base and included being part of the executive team of BBC Worldwide (now BBC studios) as Head of Finance and Business Intelligence for the advertising division. For a better balance of work and family life Anne changed to fractional work a decade ago and has since worked with a wide range of clients with roles varying from advisory work through to in-house CFO and COO positions. Specialising in SaaS technology businesses this included transformation of a SaaS scale up for exit and subsequent sale to a US trade buyer. Anne enjoys working in the fast paced environment of start ups and has also mentored other fractional CFOs.

Carl Moore FCA, CFO, Ancient + Brave
Carl is a commercial CFO with experience across a number of sectors at organisations of different sizes. Having trained in Audit at KPMG, Carl then moved into industry, taking an Internal Audit role at Viacom Media before moving into a variety of Commercial and FP&A roles within the Group. From Viacom Carl moved into the beauty industry, enjoying a number of FP&A and Controller roles within The Body Shop and the L'Oreal group. Keen to take on a broader role with more of an ability to make an impact, Carl moved into the world of PE-backed SME's with a role as Finance Director at Montezuma's Chocolates, navigating the business through a full rebrand, the COVID pandemic and Brexit transition period. From here he took a role as Group CFO at Ozone Coffee Roasters International, a B-Corp certified coffee roaster with operations in the UK and New Zealand. Here he implemented a corporate restructure, consolidation of in-house production facilities and multiple M&A activities, overseeing significant margin improvements during a time of inflationary cost increases. In early 2025 Carl moved to Ancient + Brave, a rapidly-scaling B-Corp certified wellness business.

Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam, Founder, The FD Consultant
Romesh trained and qualified as an accountant many years ago with EY and then moved on to join Bunzl plc, a FTSE 100 organisation where he gained experience in various senior finance roles. He then pivoted his career to the world of start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs, and has been a full time CFO or FD of some successful growth businesses. One business, a pioneering eco-friendly consumables supplier, increased its revenues by 9 times during his time there. A second business, in student accommodation, grew from 4 employees managing 20 properties to over 600 properties managed by 50 employees in 25 cities across the UK. 5 years ago, Romesh set up The FD Consultant (a collective of part time/fractional CFO Consultants) because he is truly passionate about helping businesses achieve their full potential.

Marsh is a world leading risk and insurance advisory specialist providing risk management, risk consulting, insurance broking, alternative risk financing, and insurance programme management services to the world’s leading companies, growing corporates and small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Marsh is the parent company of Marsh Commercial who has worked with ICAEW for over 14 years as a trusted Member Rewards Partner.

25/09/2024
13:00 - 13:30 BST

An introduction to scaling up

Explore the signs that your business is ready to scale up and what needs to be in place

21/11/2024
13:00 - 13:45 GMT

Building solid foundations to drive performance

Understand the importance of solid foundations across your business to drive performance.

03/12/2024
13:00 - 13:45 GMT

Financial planning and raising finance

Understand the importance of financial planning and the options available to raise finance.

26/02/2025
13:00 - 13:45 GMT

Build a positive culture and team

The importance of building a healthy culture and attracting the right people.

01/04/2025
13:00 - 13:45 GMT

Building your network and communication skills

Understand the importance of networks and the essential soft skills to help scale your business.