Agenda for the Evening
Wednesday 8th October 2025
Bulgari Hotel, Knightsbridge
17.00
Round Table Discussions
18.45
Drinks reception
19.30
Opening Remarks
Uday Singh
Founder & CEO, Fast Growth Icons
19.35
Welcome Address by our Lead Sponsor
Laura Hayward
Partner, Private Client Tax Services, S&W
19.40
Dinner Speaker
Charles McManus
Co-Founder & Non-Executive Director, ClearBank
Changing the Rules, Decision Making at Speed: How to Scale When the Playbook Breaks
When the rules don’t work, do you bend or rewrite them? Charles shares how he navigated the leap from a bold startup to a 100-person, then an 800+ people, regulated success story that challenged an industry steeped in tradition. He will discuss how to drive decisions at speed when data is scarce, what it takes to push through internal and external resistance, and how to navigate turning points that can’t be solved with a playbook.
20.00
Seated Dinner Enjoy three courses from The Bulgari Hotel’s exclusive menu
20.40
Guest Speaker
Sam Lister
Director General for Industrial Strategy
Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
Scaling is Tough: How Government is Listening and Responding
Sam Lister is remarkably switched on to the challenges scale-ups face. He’ll share a quick, candid update on the government’s priorities for tech; how it is responding to fast-moving sectors like AI, efforts to cut red tape, and initiatives to attract more investment and talent to the UK.
22.30
Carriages
Roundtable Discussion Sessions 17:00–18:30
We’ll be hosting facilitated discussions on the key challenges founders face while scaling with 8 – 10 people at each table. If you picked topics when registering, you’ll be placed at one of them if not, we’ll match you to a good fit. Seating will be arranged in advance, but you’re welcome to move if space allows.
Getting Exit ready – preparing your personal tax structure
Getting your personal tax planning sorted well before you get into an exit process to maximise your immediate return and long term income. Understanding tax structures, trusts and planning your income requirements.
International expansion
When are you ready for expansion? How do you choose the right geography? Should you expand by acquisition? How do you manage and integrate the teams?
Exits – pitfalls and deal breakers
If you’ve been through several processes, you know all the things that can turn out to be deal breakers – this session will tell you what they are and how you can mitigate against them.
Growth stage financing and funding options – tips, hacks and best practices
A session looking at VC, PE, Debt, IPO
Exits – The differences between Trade Buyers and PE and what they are looking for.
These two types of acquirers are very different: both in terms of expectations of you post-acquisition and what they value. The IC of a PE looks for higher profits, decent margin and consistent growth. Trade buyers might be more concerned about enhancing their product suite or eliminating a pesky competitor. A session on who is right for you, what drives their decisions, and how to tailor your approach to win their backing.
Building a board and getting the most value from it
Are you extracting value from your Board? Explore how to assemble a high-impact board, manage dynamics and control, and extract strategic value.