David Thomas

David Thomas is a qualified accountant and finance professional with more than 20 years of financial experience, including senior in-house finance roles and substantial SME funding experience. Public reporting on his March 2023 move to 360 Growth Partners says he had delivered around £50 million in public funding to North East businesses while serving as Investment Director at NEL Fund Managers.

At NEL Fund Managers, Thomas worked on growth-capital investments into North East SMEs and was described in deal announcements as Investment Executive, Investment Manager, and later Investment Director. 360 Growth Partners reported that, at NEL, he chaired the investment committee and managed the team of investment specialists.

In March 2023, Thomas joined Newcastle-based 360 Growth Partners as a finance associate, supporting SMEs with financial planning and investment readiness. In his own words, his focus is SME growth: “Helping SMEs grow is where my interest lies.” He described his work as identifying financial gaps, helping with business and financial planning, acting as an outsourced finance director, and advising companies on securing investment.

NEL Fund Managers itself was founded in 1989 as the first regional investment management company in the North East of England. The firm is employee-owned, authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, and has managed 17 funds with more than £170 million in funds managed.

• Thomas’s public track record is in growth finance for SMEs rather than angel-style seed investing. The verified NEL mandate was unsecured loan finance for established, revenue-generating businesses looking to grow.
• NEL’s stated strategy focuses on underserved SMEs whose finance needs are not adequately addressed by traditional funding sources, using secured and unsecured debt structures including senior, stretched senior, unitranche, and mezzanine-style finance.
• Thomas has backed companies with clear expansion plans, credible management teams, and specific uses of capital such as recruitment, new facilities, product/service development, working capital, management buyouts, and geographic expansion.
• His quoted deal rationale often emphasizes management quality and clarity of plan: on Exploration & Testing Associates, he said the team’s “excellent industry track record” and “clear strategy” made it an attractive opportunity.
• In the Alpha Process Controls / Aldona Seals deal, Thomas highlighted a “clear vision” for building on strong market reputations and using growth capital to achieve commercial ambitions.
• At 360 Growth Partners, his advisory focus is on understanding owners and management teams, how the business makes money, and then providing financial support to help them reach their goals.