Vin Murria OBE is an experienced executive and has operated and/or advised public companies for over 30 years. Vin was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Computer Software from 2008 until 2015 and built the business organically and through acquisition from an initial cash shell to its $1.1bn  to Vista Equity Partners, delivering shareholder return of almost 1,100 per cent. The business was named Tech Company of the Year (2014) having grown to be the 3rd largest UK headquartered software business. Prior to Advanced Computer Software, Vin was founder and Chief Executive Officer of Computer Software Group plc from 2002 until 2007, which included a merger with IRIS Software, and  exit to Hellman and Friedman at a $1bn million valuation. Prior to this Vin was the COO of Kewill Systems Plc (now known as BluJay Solutions which exited to a strategic for £2bn in 2020). 

Vin was also a non-executive director of FTSE 250 Softcat plc, a leading provider of technology solutions and services and is currently non-executive director at FTSE 100 Bunzl plc, the international distribution and services groupAdvT provides software solutions and platforms across two business transformational areas: business solutions & compliance, and human capital management.

AdvancedAdvT

AdvT is an agent for change. The Group enables the delivery of Artificial Intelligence ("AI"), data analytics and business intelligence, all of which are key future drivers for growth in these sectors where long term digitisation trends are set to transform the workplace for professionals.

AdvT is developing both organically and through acquisitions, by expanding its presence across adjacent markets, geographical boundaries and digital sectors.

The management team boasts substantial experience in the software and services sector, having invested in and operated a range of high-performing businesses. The team have successfully driven operational excellence within these enterprises, leading to consistent organic growth. Moreover, it has a proven track record of targeted and accretive mergers and acquisitions in the software and services sector. This expertise, combined with the recent acquisitions, positions the Company well to build a robust platform for future growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Grainger plc is the UK’s largest listed residential landlord and a FTSE 250 company, leading the fast growing Build to Rent sector. With around 11,029 rental homes, over 25,000 customers and a secured development pipeline of approximately 4,500 homes worth £1.3 billion, Grainger is actively investing in cities across the UK to deliver thousands more high-quality rental homes.

Kurt Mueller, Director of Corporate Affairs

With more than 15 years’ experience in the real estate sector, Kurt is an Executive Committee member with responsibility for investor relations, communications, government relations, ESG, branding and marketing. Kurt is also a Board Director of Grainger’s affordable housing arm, Grainger Trust. 

Kurt is a member of EPRA’s Investor Relations Committee and the British Property Federation’s Residential Board, Build to Rent Committee and Corporate Affairs Advisory Panel.

Prior to Grainger, Kurt worked at the British Property Federation and the Social Market Foundation. 

Time Finance's purpose is to help UK businesses thrive and survive through the provision of flexible funding facilities. It offers a multi-product range for SMEs primarily concentrating on Asset Finance and Invoice Finance. While focussed on being an 'own-book' lender, the Group does retain the ability to broke-on deals where appropriate, enabling it to optimize business levels through market and economic cycles.

More information is available on the Company website: www.timefinance.com.

Dr Mark Payton, CEO

Mark has extensive investment and scale-up experience. Since co-founding Mercia, he has led the sales of Hybrid Systems Ltd (to Myotec) to create PsiOxus Therapeutics Ltd, Warwick Effect Polymers Ltd (to Polytherics Ltd) to create Abzena plc, Oxford Genetics Ltd (sold to WuXi AppTec) and led the founding investment in Allinea Software Ltd (sold to ARM). Prior to Mercia, Mark played a leading role within Oxford University Innovation , the technology transfer operation of the University of Oxford, spinning out BioAnalab Ltd (sold to Millipore), Oxford Immunotec Ltd (listed on NASDAQ), Oxitec Ltd (sold to Intrexon) and Natural Motion Ltd (sold to Zynga). Following his time at OUI, Mark was the vice president of corporate development at Oxxon Therapeutics Inc, prior to its sale to Oxford BioMedica plc.

Mark gained his PhD jointly between the University of Oxford and the University of London (King’s College). Mark also has an MBA from the University of Warwick, is a Sainsbury Management Fellow for Life Sciences and was awarded the 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year (regional and national).

Martin Glanfield, CFO

Martin has significant public and private markets business experience. He is a KPMG-qualified chartered accountant with more than 25 years’ experience as chief financial officer of four listed, three private equity-backed and several privately owned technology-led businesses. Martin joined the main market listed Forward Group PLC in 1993 and was group financial director from 1995 until its sale, for £129.0million, in 1997. In 1999, as deputy chief executive of Symonds plc, Martin led the 'public to private' of this main market-listed technology group, backed by NatWest Equity Partners. The group was successfully restructured and sold within 12 months to a NASDAQ-listed US electronics group, whereupon he became a vice president, working frequently in Silicon Valley.

In addition to his CFO responsibilities, he also has overall responsibility for Mercia’s legal, compliance, marketing and M&A activities. Martin also chairs Mercia’s two lending subsidiaries which are currently managing c.£850million of Mercia’s AuM. He has an Honours degree in Business from Aston University.

I am a financial journalist with a passionate desire to help British people do more with their money. Professionally, that has been my quest for most of my career and I have enjoyed stints working at The Investors’ Chronicle, Investor’s Champion and Stockopedia. 

But my professional goals have been disrupted in the last few years by increasingly pervasive bouts of depression.  

It was in January 2025, while on a run, that I first saw glimpses of the way forward. I would aim to run around the island of Great Britain, getting the miles in my legs which help to ease the pain in my brain and simultaneously raising awareness of the wonderful entrepreneurial spirit which litters Britain’s coastline, in the hope that more people might get inspired to do more with their money. 

You can find out more about my run and my journey on my website: https://meganboxall.com/

I’ll be documenting my run and writing about the businesses I meet on my substack, Run Britain: https://meganboxall.substack.com/

https://www.justgiving.com/page/megan-boxall-run-britain?newPage=true

ActiveOps is a Software as a Service company founded in 2005 and listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market following its IPO in 2021.

ActiveOps' Decision Intelligence software solutions are specifically designed to support leaders with the vast number of decisions they make daily in running their operations. Its blue-chip banking, insurance, healthcare, and BPS customers make better decisions and consume less time and effort making them. The outcomes are significantly improved performance, with better turnaround times, customer satisfaction and double-digit improvements in productivity. Customers can leverage the capacity created to invest in transformation and development, and more efficiently utilise resources.

The Company has approximately 190 employees, serving a global base of enterprise customers from offices in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, India, and South Africa. 

Emma Salthouse, Group CFO

Emma is an experienced finance professional. Emma rejoined ActiveOps in 2023, having previously been the Head of Finance at ActiveOps for c. five years, before joining a UK market leader in forensic science as Group CFO. Emma is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants with over 15 years’ experience.

BASH is an acronym for Buy, Avoid, Sell and Hold a share in a company to be discussed during each panel.

Panellists:

Mark Simpson

Mark Simpson is a Value investor, writer and presenter. He focuses on finding sources of edge in the market and developing practical ways to overcome behavioural biases. His book Excellent Investing describes this approach and how investors of all types can generate higher and more consistent returns by developing a strategy that plays to their strengths and overcomes their weaknesses