Our Team
Meet our experts
Our professionals bring real-world experience and proven track records to support our ecosystem of innovators.

Working in Consumer Packaged Goods for 15 years, Annie has led transformational initiatives for large multinational companies within beverages, Direct to Consumer and eCommerce. She has held leadership positions at ZX Ventures (the growth incubator arm of AB InBev), Innocent Drinks, and Nestlé, before moving to BAT in 2023 where she was head of BAT’s Global Cannabis category. Leveraging this extensive industry experience, Annie brings strong expertise of the global CPG environment to BTV’s investment portfolio across consumer brands, digital transformation, new technologies and retail. Outside of work, Annie has a passion for watching and playing sport, as well as enjoying the London parks with her husband and dog, Gini.
Annie Goman


Lukasz has over a decade of investment experience in M&A, commercial and corporate finance from organisations such as Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Montagu Private Equity and PwC. Before moving to London, Lukasz studied and worked in Amsterdam, Boston, New York, Paris, São Paulo and Warsaw where he gained a global perspective and an appreciation for diversity. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MA in management from Warsaw School of Economics and an MA in law from Warsaw University. At BTV, besides origination and execution of deals, he also leads the ESG venturing efforts. He was also recognised by Global Corporate Venturing as a Global Top50 Rising Star (2022) and a Global Top50 Emerging Leader (2023 and 2024) across the corporate venture capital industry.
Lukasz Garbowski


Fiona is a financial professional with more than 30 years of experience in scaling start-ups as a founder, company director and corporate advisor. Living in Cambridge, she’s managed numerous corporate finance transactions, including London IPOs, reverse takeovers and M&A. Fiona is a strong proponent of EDI and sustainable businesses, has an MBA from University of the Witwatersrand and is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.
Fiona Kinghorn


Peter is a Venture Capital specialist and joined BTV in 2020 with over 10 years of private practice experience in the corporate teams of international law firms, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Brown Rudnick LLP. In 2022 and 2023 he was awarded In-House Counsel of the Year with the SME UK Legal Awards. Outside of VC, he is an advocate in giving back to the community and serves as legal director to UK based charities: LIFEbeat, Facing History and Ourselves and the National HIV Story Trust. Peter is also the Co-Chair of B United, BAT’s LGBT+ global employee resource group.
Peter Wozny


Sam joined BTV in March 2021 after working in NatWest's corporate and commercial banking team. From Glasgow, he holds an MSc in finance and accounting from Imperial College Business School, a Graduate Diploma in financial and actuarial mathematics from the University of Leeds, and an MA in financial economics from the University of Dundee.
Sam Morris


Karen has experience across startups, venture capital, and private equity, with a strong focus on CPG businesses and value creation through strategic growth and acquisitions. Previously, Karen held investment roles at Diageo-backed Distill Ventures, where she led investments and supported portfolio growth in emerging spirits and non-alcoholic brands, as well as at Dragonfly and Warren Equity Partners. She holds a BSc in Economics from The Wharton School and an MA from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Karen Xiang


Bringing nearly a decade of in-house and private practice experience with him from New Zealand and, more recently, London, working for DLA Piper LLP’s corporate team, Yemo joined BTV’s legal team in February 2025. In his spare time, Yemo is a keen foodie, and enjoys sports and travelling the world.
Yemo Guo


Emma-Jane joined the BTV Team after 6 years in public audit at Deloitte. She has joined to assist in the accounting and reporting functions of BTV as it continues to expand and accelerate change. Emma-Jane holds a Bachelor of Business Science and Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from the University of Cape Town and is a registered Chartered Accountant with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Emma-Jane Frost


Luca graduated from NUL with a BSc in Economics with Philosophy and from UCL with a MSc in Finance. He has also completed M&A internships at Kon Group S.p.A. and at KPMG in Milan. Originally from Florence, Italy and now living in London, he is excited to continue his career with BTV. Venture capital has always been fascinating for Luca given its broad exposure to brilliant and innovative entrepreneurs across a multitude of sectors and industries.
Luca Marras


George is a finance enthusiast, born and raised in Greece. He holds a BSc in Economics and Finance from the University of Bristol, where he founded Bristol's Data Science Society. Prior to joining BTV, he completed an investment banking internship at AXIA Capital Ventures. He is excited with the opportunity to combine his passion for finance and entrepreneurial spirit in his work.
George Leivadas


Yvie holds an BA in Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a MSc in Bioengineering from Imperial College London. She has three years of experience as an Investment Manager at Rathbones (previously Investec Wealth & Investment, following its acquisition by Rathbones), where she managed private client portfolios and invested in public markets. She has successfully completed all three levels of the CFA Program. In recognition of her contributions to the industry, she was nominated as a Rising Star in the Women in Investments Awards (2025).
Yvie Lock


Sarah joined the BTV team in 2020 as a paralegal to support both the in-house legal and BTV teams following over 13 years of legal support experience from several top London law firms, including Charles Russell Speechlys and Brown Rudnick LLP. At the Start of 2024, Sarah also took on the role of BTV’s Office Manager, supporting the day to day running of the fund and its administration support. Beyond work, Sarah has a huge passion for horse riding!
Sarah Newnham


Emily is a Trainee Solicitor currently on secondment from Freeths LLP. After graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an LLM in Law, Emily gained over two years of experience in the corporate team at Freeths, followed by six months in the restructuring and insolvency team. She joined BTV’s in-house legal team in September 2025.
Emily Arnett


With over a decade of marketing and commercial leadership experience, Tacio has built a career across global corporations and entrepreneurship. He joined BAT in 2013 as a Marketing Management Trainee in Mexico, before moving to Europe to drive new category development within Modern Oral. He has since held multiple strategic roles, most recently serving as Head of Trade Marketing for BAT UK&I. Complementing his corporate experiences, Tacio also founded and operated his own business in Mexico, adding first-hand entrepreneurial insight to his profile.
Tacio Cruz Solbes
