The Quoted Companies Alliance, the independent membership organisation that champions the interests of small to mid-size quoted companies, marked its 20th anniversary yesterday at its Annual Dinner.
Over 360 members of the small and mid-size quoted company community, including company directors, investors, market operators, regulators and more, attended the Quoted Companies Alliance 20th Anniversary Annual Dinner, marking the strength of the sector. The event was sponsored by the London Stock Exchange, with Morningstar and Aveva Group plc as supporting sponsors of the evening.
The event at the Savoy in London featured a speech from Alexander Justham, recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of the London Stock Exchange plc. Alexander Justham reaffirmed the London Stock Exchange’s commitment to small and mid-size quoted companies and in helping them raise finance. He stated: “We are proud to support the Quoted Companies Alliance. Over the last twenty years, the organisation has been a champion of connecting innovative, ambitious small and mid-size companies with investors, helping companies finance growth, drive innovation and create jobs. This is a passion that London Stock Exchange shares, and together we will continue to do everything in our power to make investing in the UK’s SMEs more accessible.”
Fiona Kelsey, Quoted Companies Alliance Chairman and Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, also addressed attendees. Speaking at the event, she emphasised the successes of the Quoted Companies Alliance over the past 20 years, but noted that more must be done to support the growth of small and mid-size quoted companies.
Fiona Kelsey said: “We must continue to lighten the burden and foster markets to provide companies with the finance they so desperately need. This is why we have called on the Government to carry out a review into whether primary equity markets are fit for purpose. At a time when bank lending is stagnant, we must ensure that small and mid-size quoted companies can continue to be the engines of growth. Now is the time to promote and celebrate equity finance as being a viable means of raising the capital necessary for these companies to grow.”
Tim Ward, Chief Executive of the Quoted Companies Alliance, commented on the event: “Our Annual Dinner celebrates the engine of growth of the UK economy – the small and mid-size quoted companies. We will continue to do all we can to help these companies raise finance and to further promote a culture of equity finance in the UK. We call on policymakers and market operators to join us in proactively working to promote such an environment.”
