New Business Thinking.

Amy Golding, widely regarded as one of the UK’s most dynamic business leaders, made history as she reportedly become “the youngest female CEO of a $100 million turnover company” (unconfirmed) according to Yahoo, when she took the helm at Opus Talent Solutions in 2017. Under her transformative leadership, the company soared to global prominence in technology and renewable energy recruitment, culminating in a high-value private equity sale in 2021. This milestone confirmed Amy’s exceptional talent for scaling and exiting market-leading businesses. Following her maternity leave, Amy returns to the business world in a pivotal leadership role. As CEO of Steven Bartlett’s Private Office, she is responsible for overseeing the investment strategy across the portfolio, leveraging her expertise in tech, talent, and investment to drive sustainable growth. Amy is also on the Board of Flight Story, Bartlett’s media and investment company, where she acts as a link between Steven’s private office team and FlightStory leadership.

Christian Owens founded Paddle in 2012 when he was 18. He led Paddle as CEO for 11 years, scaling the business to 4,000 customers, completing a $200M acquisition of US-based ProfitWell, and a $1.4 billion valuation In addition to Paddle, Christian invests in 5-10 seed-stage startups per year. He's been named in the Forbes 30 Under 30, and is a Thiel Fellow. Since stepping down from Paddle in 2024, Christian has been working on a new company which is currently in stealth

Steve will be talking about the inside story of one of the UK’s most successful-ever start-ups: Gymshark. In nine years as its CEO and Executive Chairman, he oversaw sales growth from £5m to £500m. Powerful entrepreneurial thinking – and learnings – throughout. Steve is the ex-EMEA Commercial Director of Reebok/Adidas; a Changemaker with BCH / Partner with St. Basils charity; and the Founder of Whanau – an advisory / investment organisation that supports the fast-growing SMEs. He's also a (very) proud Geordie.

Madelaine Thomas is the founder of Image Angel, a company dedicated to combating non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse online. In response to the prevalence of such abuses, Image Angel developed invisible watermarking technology that embeds unique, unremovable fingerprints into images. This innovation allows platforms to trace unauthorised sharing back to the perpetrator, enhancing user safety and platform accountability. This survivor-led deterrent has been recommended as best practice by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Lux Rewards, a UK-based loyalty tech startup founded by University of Bath alumnus and current Executive MBA student James Courtney, has been acquired by global rewards giant Enigmatic Smile in an eight-figure deal. It’s a remarkable turnaround story—just a few years ago, the company was weeks away from shutting down. Now, it reaches over 105 million cardholders worldwide and is a leader in card-linked rewards This story may be particularly relevant, as James’ journey from growing up in Bristol to becoming a leading entrepreneur is truly inspiring. After excelling academically, he went on to win the University of Bath Business Plan Competition twice and was also recognised by winning the EntreConf Award— for his entrepreneurial achievements. He now leads one of the UK’s fastest-growing loyalty tech startups.

Zara Nanu, MBE is an award-winning entrepreneur reimagining the future of work through innovation and inclusion. As founder of Gapsquare, she built pioneering tech that’s helped global companies close pay gaps and design fairer workplaces. Zara now leads WorkVue, shaping future-of-work strategies with a bold, data-driven lens. A member of the Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board and advisor to CEOs, she’s a sought-after voice on equity, AI, and value in a changing world.

Alex is a partner in the firm’s Corporate and M&A team, working in all areas of corporate finance, and is also a member of the firm’s Technology sector group. Alex has a particular focus on technology sector M&A, venture capital and private equity and leads the firm’s Emerging Companies practice at the firm, supporting high-growth businesses and their investors.

Professor Andy Salmon, moved to Bath four years ago from Cambridge, currently focusing on regeneration, social cohesion, place making, and the development of human and social value through the ISTART and other projects. Roles include: pro vice chancellor External Bath Spa University, chair of corporation at Bath College, director of the London Film Academy, tutor for the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education.

Bob co-founded Mytton Williams, a strategic, creative studio, in 1996. Projects have encompassed all aspects of branding, working with global brands to ambitious SMEs. His work has been recognised in national and international design awards and publications. Client experience includes: Clarks, Millfield, National Trust, ReMind UK, Thermae Bath Spa and Waitrose. He is an Associate Lecturer at Bath Spa University and co-founder of: West of England Design Forum; Werkhouse, an industry-led design education programme; and Bath Unlimited, an initiative to promote Bath businesses. He also wrote and designed a book and exhibition called ‘Made in Bath’, celebrating makers and craftsmanship, which led to the ‘Meet the Maker’ podcast.

Bruno, a serial entrepreneur and Director of the MSc in Entrepreneurship at the University of Bath, researches how AI transforms venture creation, growth, and scaling. He empowers entrepreneurs and business professionals with actionable, tech-driven strategies, blending academic insight with cutting-edge AI tools for real-world business success.

Richard founded Link Stone Advisory to deliver integrated corporate development to support growth and value creation. The practice now has a multidisciplinary team of experts who collaborate to deliver more impactful solutions for clients. Richard previously worked for Future Plc, PlaySports Group and PwC.

As Co-CEO of Digital Wonderlab, Nathan is passionate about harnessing technology to fuel creativity, efficiency, and growth. A serial entrepreneur, he thrives on building businesses and helping others leverage tech to do more, faster, and smarter. With over two decades of experience working with startups, enterprises, and not-for-profits, Nathan specialises in making the complex simple—using AI and digital innovation to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive real impact. Under his leadership, Digital Wonderlab helps businesses harness the power of AI and digital solutions to work smarter, innovate faster, and achieve more.

Matt is a Partner based in Taunton, specialising in aspects of corporate finance such as company sales, valuations, and financial due diligence as well as the audit of corporate entities. Matt joined the firm after finishing university, initially training within the corporate services team, and becoming the lead manager for many of the firm’s medium and large groups, developing extensive audit, accountancy, and business advisory skills. Pursuing his interest in helping business owners achieve their exit goals Matt joined our corporate finance team and is now one of our corporate finance specialists. Matt is able to draw upon his commercial and technical knowledge gained from each of these specialisms to ensure clients achieve the best outcome. Matt is also part of Taunton Round Table, which raises money for local charities. In his spare time, he is a keen hockey player, and undertakes the occasional long distance endurance event. He also spends plenty of time catering to his reactive dog’s rather specific behavioural needs.