Paul Skipworth

Paul Skipworth is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Inverleith LLP, an Edinburgh-based, sector-specialist private equity firm focused on consumer brands. He founded the firm alongside Ben Thomson, the former Chairman and Chief Executive of Noble Group (the corporate finance house). Skipworth holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London and an MBA from INSEAD (1995J cohort), where he has remained heavily involved with the alumni network — serving as Vice President of the INSEAD Alumni Association and previously leading its UK (2014–2017) and Hong Kong (2003–2008) national alumni associations.

He began his career in corporate strategy consulting, spending roughly a decade at L.E.K. Consulting, before becoming a partner in an Asia-based venture capital fund. He then spent around 13–14 years building and running consumer businesses globally within the LVMH group. During that period he served as Regional Director Asia Pacific and Senior Vice President of Strategy for Moët Hennessy, and spent five years as CEO/COO of The Glenmorangie Company (the single-malt Scotch whisky and spirits business). He was also a Partner and Head of UK for L Capital, LVMH's sponsored private equity fund focused on the consumer sector.

That combination — operating experience running premium consumer brands plus private equity investing at L Capital — is the foundation of Inverleith's model. The firm positions itself as an operationally engaged investor that helps build "market leading brands through our hybrid of hands-on operational expertise, investment experience and deep consumer focus." Inverleith LLP is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.

• Invests in consumer-brand businesses in the high-growth categories of health & wellness, lifestyle, premium food & drink, and luxury/heritage brands.
• Operates in the lower mid-market, typically taking majority/controlling stakes in established brands (this is a buyout/growth PE strategy, not angel or seed investing).
• Targets companies headquartered in the UK and Europe.
• Emphasises a hands-on, operational and collaborative approach — leveraging the partners' experience running consumer companies rather than acting as a passive financial backer.
• In Skipworth's own words on the firm's strategy: *"With Inverleith Limited Partnership, we look forward to helping to build market leading brands through our hybrid of hands-on operational expertise, investment experience and deep consumer focus."*