Richard Angus, Head of Business Development at Hardman & Co, speaks with Harry Corbett, Director and Founder of Intelligence Forums, where he reflects on his career in financial markets from qualifying as a chartered accountant, then working as an equity US equities fund manager before a 20-year career in US investment banking.
Richard discusses his experience of the post-Big Bang transformation of the City, the dynamics of the US technology and life sciences booms and the challenges posed by financial crises. He explains how these experiences shaped his understanding of investor behaviour, market sentiment and valuation.
Having been at Hardman & Co for more than 10 years, Richard outlines the firm’s long-established role in providing independent research for listed companies and then explains its expansion into the world of private companies and the provision of bespoke services to help UK entrepreneurs commercialise their business.
The discussion then turns to UK growth and productivity, where Richard believes that the country’s strong entrepreneurial talent has been impacted by a lack of communication & confidence regarding attracting investors, particularly in these currently difficult markets. He highlights the importance of effective investor presentations, independent valuations and addressing ROOM (running out of money) risk. Richard also discusses the need for better liquidity options in private markets and shares his mixed reaction to the Budget, welcoming support for EIS but expressing concern that it did not do more to boost confidence and encourage investment and growth in 2026. Without a degree of optimism in the commercial world it is hard to see positive news on employment trends.
