
Welcome to the Growth Capital Ventures team
Tony Short
Programme Director, GCV
The GCV Board
Driving our long-term success
The Growth Capital Ventures Board, consisting of four industry-experienced figures, provides clear leadership guidance to the senior management team for the implementation of the company's strategy and ensuring the company's culture, purpose and values are all effectively aligned.





Bill became Chairman of GCV in 2016 and brings a wealth of experience to the GCV Board. Bill draws on his experience as one of the founding partners of Maven and a member of the Maven Executive Committee, offering his expertise across venture capital and private equity to support the strategic direction of GCV. At Maven, Bill oversees the operations of the business, new business opportunities and is responsible for fund structuring.
Prior to setting up Maven, Bill worked at Aberdeen Asset Management, State Street Bank & Trust Company, and Murray Johnstone, where he was responsible for fund administration and tax and accounting services for a range of clients and fund types. Bill has a BA in Accountancy and qualified as a Chartered Accountant whilst with Arram Berlyn Gardner in London.

Suzanne became the Non-Executive Director of GCV in 2016, drawing on over 20 years of experience in financial services and her role as Director of Co-Investment at Maven to support the strategic direction of GCV.
At Maven, Suzanne is responsible for administering the Maven Investor Partner Business and providing support with investor relations and compliance. Suzanne joined Maven in August 2010 from Bank of Scotland Private Banking, where she covered many areas of banking, with a particular focus on lending and Private Client Banking.

Norm has held senior positions in startups, mid-sized SMEs and PLCs operating across a variety of sectors including finance, telecoms, infrastructure and property.
Throughout his career, Norman has been involved in raising finance to support business growth and large-scale infrastructure projects. His experience includes raising seed capital for startups, securing expansion capital (£60M) for a Netherlands-based Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) and development capital for infrastructure projects. At Bell CM he was responsible for developing the strategic growth plan and securing investment for new business opportunities including mergers and acquisitions.
Norm is an Approved Person with the Financial Conduct Authority (SMF1 / SMF3 / SMF11 / SMF30). He holds the RICS Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management, he studied his MBA at Bradford and completed the Oxford Private Equity Programme, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Craig has a wealth of experience supporting businesses and large scale development projects. He acts as a strategic adviser, mentor, Non Exec and investor to a range of startups, early stage and established businesses, helping to raise finance and support growth.
His experience spans a number of sectors including; technology, alternative finance, property, housing, regeneration and management consultancy and includes raising seed/growth capital for high-growth businesses and project finance for regeneration / real estate projects.
Craig is an approved person with the Financial Conduct Authority (SMF1 / SMF10/ SMF30). He holds an MBA (Enterprise) and is Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and brings an entrepreneurial approach to business, strategy, finance, growth and development.
We have assembled a talented team of 25 people with a demonstrable track record across financial services, technology, software development, innovation and digital transformation.
Norman Peterson
Chief Executive Officer
Craig Peterson
Chief Operating Officer

The GCV Invest Team
Industry-leading knowledge, experience and ambition
To be part of the Growth Capital Ventures team means to be passionate about supporting our drive to transforming industries and communities, either directly or through our growing portfolio of companies.









Norm has held senior positions in startups, mid-sized SMEs and PLCs operating across a variety of sectors including finance, telecoms, infrastructure and property.
Throughout his career, Norman has been involved in raising finance to support business growth and large-scale infrastructure projects. His experience includes raising seed capital for start-ups, securing expansion capital (£60M) for a Netherlands-based Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) and development capital for infrastructure projects. At Bell CM he was responsible for developing the strategic growth plan and securing investment for new business opportunities including mergers and acquisitions.
Norm is an Approved Person with the Financial Conduct Authority (CF1 / CF3 / CF11 / CF30). He holds the RICS Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management, he studied his MBA at Bradford and completed the Oxford Private Equity Programme, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Craig has a wealth of experience supporting businesses and large scale development projects. He acts as a strategic adviser, mentor, Non Exec and investor to a range of startups, early stage and established businesses, helping to raise finance and support growth.
His experience spans a number of sectors including; technology, alternative finance, property, housing, regeneration and management consultancy and includes raising seed / growth capital for high growth businesses and project finance for regeneration / real estate projects.
Craig is an approved person with the Financial Conduct Authority (CF1 / CF10/ CF30). He holds an MBA (Enterprise) and is Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and brings an entrepreneurial approach to business, strategy, finance, growth and development.

Dan joined GCV in 2017 with over a decade of experience in marketing, communications and financial promotion. As Investor Relations Director, Dan is responsible for leading the Investor Relations team and providing GCV Invest members with access to a range of investment opportunities across our core three asset classes of venture capital, private equity and property.
Dan works closely with the founders to originate, structure and distribute investment opportunities. Dan also provides support to the GCV Labs venture builder team, guiding portfolio companies through the venture builder process and preparing them for investment and introductions to the GCV private investor network. Prior to joining GCV as Investor Relations Director, Dan worked within a number of financial services and technology-focused organisations to drive forward their communication strategies.

Harvey joined GCV in 2019 as Investor Communications and Marketing Executive. As part of the Investor Relations team, Harvey is responsible for developing and executing GCV’s marketing and communication strategy, drawing on his experience in managing campaigns across both digital and traditional marketing channels. Harvey also produces a range of online content, including investor insights and white papers spanning the topics of alternative investments and tax-efficient investment schemes, and leads in the distribution of regular email communications with existing and prospective investors. Harvey has a degree in Marketing and Management from Newcastle University.

Jo joined GCV in 2019 as Investor Relations and Marketing Executive. As part of the Investor Relations team, Jo is responsible for creating investor guides and portfolio updates, with a particular focus on property investments and property market trends. Jo also assists with the execution of the wider marketing and communication strategy for a number of GCV portfolio companies. Jo has a degree in Journalism, Media and Culture from Newcastle University.

Laura joined GCV as Finance Manager in 2018. As part of the Business Support team, Laura is responsible for supporting the finance function across the GCV group of companies. Laura works closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer to support the day-to-day financial operations of GCV. Laura is AAT qualified and has over a decade of experience across multiple blue chip organisations.

Beth joined GCV in 2019 as Office Administrator. As part of the Business Support team, Beth provides an important front-of-house role and is responsible for a range of administration processes, from management of the deal origination pipeline to the coordination of meetings and events.

Alyssa joined GCV in 2022 as a Research Analyst. As part of the Investor Relations team, Alyssa produces portfolio updates and market insights to ensure the GCV private investor network remains up to date with portfolio performance and wider market trends. Alyssa also assists with the creation of white papers and investor guides discussing a range of topics spanning alternative investments and tax-efficient investing.
The GCV Labs Team
Create. Incubate. Accelerate.
To be part of the Growth Capital Ventures team means to be passionate about supporting our drive to transform industries and communities, either directly or through our growing portfolio of companies.















Tony joined GCV in 2017 as Programme Director and has over 20 years of experience in Project Management and Software Development. As part of the GCV Labs team, Tony is responsible for project managing the development of new products and software solutions as part of the GCV Labs venture builder process. Tony works closely with the GCV founders to create, launch and scale technology-enabled startups incubated by GCV Labs.
Prior to joining GCV, Tony held senior positions at Leighton where he was responsible for project management and delivery of enterprise level software solutions for multiple blue chip companies, including Sage, British Airways and Home Group. Tony is an experienced agile practitioner and qualified scrum master and brings this experience to the GCV Labs Venture Builder Team and software development division of GCV Labs.

Dave joined GCV in 2017 as Chief Technology Officer and has over 20 years of experience in Software Development. As part of the GCV Labs team, Dave is responsible for supporting the development of new products and software solutions for startups created, launched and scaled by GCV Labs. With a specific focus on .NET and FinTech solutions, Dave leads GCV’s .NET software development projects. As an experienced solutions architect, Dave helps the team assess the overall tech stack to support the delivery of highly-scalable enterprise-level software solutions. Prior to joining GCV, Dave held senior positions at Leighton and was responsible for the delivery of enterprise-level software solutions for a range of blue chip clients including Sage, Home Group and Ambassador Theatre Group.

James joined GCV in 2018 and has over 20 years of experience in Software Development. As part of the GCV Labs team, James is responsible for supporting the development of new products and software solutions for startups created, launched and scaled by GCV Labs. Combining his PHP and JavaScript development experience with Agile and DevOps processes, James leads the open-source software development projects at GCV Labs across a number of sectors, ranging from Mediatech to Fintech. Prior to joining GCV, James was involved with creating and launching a number of software startups. James has a BSc in Web Development from Teesside University.

Mark joined GCV in 2018 as a Senior Software Developer with over 10 years of experience in Software Development. As part of the GCV Labs team, Mark is responsible for supporting the development of new products and software solutions for startups created, launched and scaled by GCV Labs. Blending his .NET development experience with Agile and DevOps processes, Mark contributes to a wide range of GCV Labs projects, with a particular focus on Fintech. Prior to joining GCV, Mark worked at a number of tech startups and held senior positions at Leighton. Mark has a BSc in Information Technology from Teesside University.

Dan joined GCV in 2017 as a Senior Software Developer with over 10 years of experience in solutions architecture. As part of the GCV Labs team, Dan is responsible for supporting the development of new products and software solutions for startups incubated by GCV Labs. Combining his PHP development experience with Agile and DevOps processes, Dan contributes to a wide range of projects, with a particular focus on Fintech and the Quva alternative investment platform. Dan has a degree in Computer Software Engineering from Teesside University.

Ryan joined GCV in 2017 as a Senior Software Developer with over 10 years of experience in Software Development. As part of the GCV Labs team, Ryan is responsible for supporting the development of new products and software solutions for startups incubated by GCV Labs. As a Senior Software Developer, Ryan contributes to a wide range of GCV projects, with a particular focus on Fintech and the Quva alternative investment platform. Prior to joining GCV, Ryan held senior positions at Leighton where he worked as a full stack developer and delivered solutions to a number of blue chip clients. Ryan has a BSc in Computer Science from Northumbria University.

Steven joined GCV in 2018 as a Software Developer. As part of the GCV Labs team, Steven operates as a full stack ASP.NET developer and is responsible for supporting the development of new products and software solutions across a number of sectors, including Fintech and Performance Marketing. Prior to joining GCV, Steven gained experience within a number of technology-enabled companies. Steven has an MSc in Computing and Information Technology from Northumbria University.

Paul joined GCV in 2020 as a Software Developer with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology. As part of the GCV Labs team, Paul is responsible for supporting the development of new products and software solutions for startups incubated by GCV Labs. Paul supports a range of projects involving HTML, CSS, JavaScript and front-end libraries with a particular focus on Mediatech and n-gage.io.

Liam joined GCV in 2021 as a Junior Software Developer. As part of the GCV Labs team, Liam is responsible for supporting the development of new products and software solutions across a number of sectors, including Fintech and Mediatech. Honing his skills across multiple areas, including PHP and full-stack development, Liam contributes to a range of projects across GCV Labs, with a particular focus on the Quva alternative investment platform.

Richie joined GCV in 2023 as an Apprentice Software Developer. As part of the GCV Labs team, Richie assists with the development of new products and software solutions for startups incubated by GCV Labs. Honing his skills across a number of areas, including software development, quality assurance and testing, Richie contributes to the efficiency of the GCV Labs software development team.

Aaron joined GCV in 2023 as an Apprentice Software Developer. As part of the GCV Labs team, Aaron is responsible for assisting with the development of new products and software solutions across multiple sectors. Aaron has previous experience as a freelance Web Developer and continues to hone his skills across many areas, such as software development and quality assurance, allowing him to provide support and contribute efficiently to the GCV Labs Development team.

Shaun joined GCV in 2018 as a Senior Designer and has over 10 years of experience in both digital and print creative design. As part of the GCV Labs team, Shaun is responsible for supporting the creation and launch of startups incubated by GCV Labs. Shaun provides support across a number of areas, including brand development, UX/UI design, rapid prototypes, product marketing collateral, videography and animation. Shaun has a degree in Graphic Communications from the University of Sunderland.

Jake joined GCV in 2018 as a UX/UI Designer. As part of the GCV Labs team, Jake supports the development of new products and software solutions for startups incubated by GCV Labs. With a specific focus on UX/UI for web and mobile applications, Jake has experience in sectors ranging from Fintech to Mediatech. Jake specialises in Experiential and Visual Design, providing a unique vision for user experience across each individual project. Prior to joining GCV, Jake studied at Northumbria University and gained a degree in Interactive Media Design.

Phil joined GCV in 2020 as Head of Sales and Marketing for Quva – the alternative investment software developed by the GCV Labs Fintech team. With over a decade of experience in sales and marketing of software and technology solutions, Phil is responsible for developing and executing sales and marketing activities for the Quva brand. Phil plays a key role in lead generation, product demos, account management and onboarding enterprise clients. Prior to joining GCV, Phil held senior sales and marketing positions at technology companies, including SaleCycle, Oak Engage and Advantex. Phil has a degree in Design, Multimedia and Graphics from the University of Sunderland.
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