The British Business Bank has appointed Leandros Kalisperas as its first Chief Investment Officer, according to a statement issued by the Bank. Ian Connatty, who has been appointed Managing Partner of BBB Patient Capital Advisory Services, is currently the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of the Bank.
Kalisperas will start his position this January. He arrives from West Yorkshire Pension Fund, where he is currently its Chief Investment Officer. Kalisperas has an MA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Oxford and an MBA from INSEAD. He also completed the Oxford Fintech Programme at the University of Oxford.
Kalisperas will be tasked with the Bank’s investment business, including overseeing its two subsidiaries, British Business Investments and British Patient Capital. His role also includes the recently launched Nations and Regions Investment Funds, the Enterprise Capital Funds programme, and sourcing and delivering investments for the new British Growth Partnership.
The new executive position follows the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Business and Trade announcing that the Bank’s £7.9 billion of commercial programs will become permanent.
Louis Taylor, CEO of British Business Bank, issued the following statement on the new CIO:
“Last month, the Chancellor announced a package of measures that has the potential to unlock billions of pounds of additional investment for the UK’s fastest growing and most innovative companies, thereby boosting the economy and providing a legacy for future generations of pensioners. As we build the capabilities we need to respond to these new opportunities we are fortunate to have recruited such a strong talent for the Bank. I am delighted that we will benefit from Leandros’s strong track record in investment management and extensive experience in managing large, complex, private market portfolios.”
