Small and medium-sized UK companies often struggle to raise the capital they need to grow. A key obstacle is the way the capital markets operate.
Changing the capital markets to better support their growth is an important part of the work being done by the Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA), the organization that champions the UK's community of over a thousand small and medium-sized companies whose shares are publicly traded. They believe the public markets can be the best place for companies to source the funds to grow, operate transparently and distribute wealth, fairly.
In a wide-ranging discussion, QCA Chief Executive Officer James Ashton explains how they are tackling it, why we need to make equities as appealing and accessible as crypto, and why a purpose is not a panacea.
Before joining QCA, James was City Editor and Executive Editor of the Evening Standard and Independent titles and before that City Editor of the Sunday Times. He is the author of several business books and chairs Oscar’s Book Prize, the annual search for the UK’s best picture book.
James is also a non-executive director of Finsbury Growth & Income, the FTSE 250 investment trust.
James Ashton