Piers Linney - Non-Executive Director

A headshot of Piers Linney - Non-Executive Director at British Business Bank

Piers Linney is an entrepreneur and investor with a professional background in the City in both law and investment banking at Credit Suisse.  He has broad experience of the financial and operational challenges that face SME businesses as a founder, adviser, director and investor.

Piers qualified as a lawyer in the City with SJ Berwin before joining the investment banking teams at Barclays de Zoete Wedd (BZW) and Credit Suisse.  He was CEO of a corporate finance business raising funds for technology start-ups, SMEs and special situations before becoming a partner at an alternative finance fund specialising in providing structured debt and equity to small caps.  Piers has founded several technology and communication businesses and has won a range of entrepreneurship awards.  He sat on the Cabinet Office SME Panel and the Board of TechUK, and is a Trustee of Nesta, the UK’s leading innovation charity.

Piers is known as a champion of entrepreneurship and SMEs after appearing as an investor on Dragons’ Den.  He has been recognised as one of the top 100 most influential Black Britons and won the inaugural Entrepreneur of the Year award at the EY sponsored Black British Business Awards.

Piers has a BA Joint Hons from The University of Manchester and is a Solicitor.