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A Different Perspective with Iain Baillie, Founder and Director of Asset Match
Nick and Iain discuss Iain's journey from an unexpected start in finance to building a platform that brings liquidity to shares in UK private companies. After developing an early fascination with the stock pages of the Financial Times, he began his career at Strauss Turnbull in 1972. He later joined Salomon Brothers, working in both London and New York, with John Meriwether & Michael Lewis, during the firm's heyday in fixed income trading. Following this, he founded and sold a credit market boutique before returning to Salomon, and eventually moved into electronic trading by leading the European arm of MarketAxess.
In 2012, Iain co-founded Asset Match in response to the growing number of private UK companies with multiple shareholders but no exit opportunities. The platform uses scheduled auctions—rather than continuous trading—to match buyers and sellers fairly, with early clients including BrewDog and Tottenham Hotspur. Iain also discusses the growing momentum behind the PISCES initiative, a Treasury and FCA-led framework set to legitimise and expand private share trading. With more companies staying private for longer and institutional interest rising, he sees significant growth ahead for the sector.