UK tariff business impact - with Ian Connatty, managing partner, British Growth Partnership at BBB

In this episode of the Professional Pensions Podcast, we discuss how tariffs are affecting UK small businesses and the broader economy. Ian Connatty, Managing Partner at BBB Patient Capital Advisory Services (British Growth Partnership), joins Charlotte Moore to explore the role of venture capital in driving innovation, the importance of scaling UK startups, and how pension funds can support the future economy.We dive into the challenges of funding high-growth companies, the impact of geopolitical risks like Trump’s tariffs, and how long-term investment strategies can transform the UK’s economic landscape.

Ian Connatty is the first Managing Partner for BBB Patient Capital Advisory Services, leading its regulated investment advisory and fundraising activities. As Managing Partner, Ian will also serve on the BBB Patient Capital Advisory Services Board, contributing to the Partnership’s governance and strategic oversight. He was previously the British Business Bank’s Deputy Chief Investment Officer. He brings with him a wealth of experience in direct, co-investment and venture capital fund investing having worked for British Business Bank and its forerunner organisations since 2009. Ian joined British Patient Capital when it launched in 2018 where he was Managing Director of the Funds business until 2021. After this he was appointed Managing Director, Direct and Co-investment, where he established the £425m Future Fund: Breakthrough programme. He previously worked in corporate finance at technology company Infinity SDC and in financial modelling at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

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ABOUT THE HOST:

Charlotte Moore is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Moore Squared Communications. She has spent almost two decades writing about how the UK’s largest investment organisations allocate their capital for a number of different specialist magazines including Professional Pensions, IPE and MandateWire. She started this podcast to increase understanding of how and why the UK’s £3 trillion pensions industry invests its members’ capital to provide the best possible retirement.🔗 https://lotsmoore.co.uk/

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Topics covered:

• Trump tariffs and their impact on UK small businesses

• Venture capital’s role in funding innovation

• Scaling up UK startups vs the US ecosystem

• Pension funds investing in productive finance

• Growth capital, life sciences, and future investment trends

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