BBB appoints Charlotte Lawrence as Managing Director of Direct Equity

Lawrence brings around 20 years’ experience in corporate finance and growth equity investing. She joins the Bank from PSG Equity, where she served as a Managing Director at the $28bn assets-under-management firm. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade investing through the European Technology fund at global investment firm The Carlyle Group, and earlier in her career worked in investment banking at Merrill Lynch.

She also brings extensive board-level experience, including her current role as an advisory Investment Committee member at Albion Capital, a UK venture capital firm with £1bn under management.

In her new role, Lawrence will lead the British Business Bank’s direct and co-investment activity, which complements its position as the largest limited partner investor in UK venture and growth capital funds. Since launching its co-investment programme in 2021, the Bank has built a portfolio of 37 companies and become one of the most active late-stage investors in UK life sciences and deeptech.

The appointment follows reforms to the Bank’s investment capabilities in 2025, which allow it to increase both the number and size of investments into UK scale-ups. Alongside this, the Bank is fundraising for the inaugural fund of the British Growth Partnership, a third-party vehicle designed to crowd in institutional capital into UK venture and growth. The fund will pursue a direct investment strategy, leveraging the Bank’s balance sheet and market position as a major late-stage investor.

Leandros Kalisperas, Chief Investment Officer at the British Business Bank, said strengthening direct investment capability was a priority as the Bank expands its scale-up capital role. “Our direct investments provide all-important growth capital and ensure the UK taxpayer gains exposure to the UK’s fastest-growing companies. Charlotte has an exceptional track record of backing high-growth businesses, and her leadership will be critical as we deploy larger investments to help UK companies scale here at home,” he said.

Lawrence said the Bank’s expanded mandate and the launch of the British Growth Partnership present a significant opportunity to support UK innovation. “The British Business Bank sits at the heart of the UK’s innovation ecosystem. With our expanded investment capabilities alongside the launch of the British Growth Partnership, we have an exceptional opportunity to provide the long-term capital our most ambitious companies need. I’m looking forward to working with the team to scale our backing for the next generation of UK champions,” she said.