Real Assets
We build future energy systems and resilient infrastructure, backing emerging opportunities in technology, land and water.
- Foresight has appointed regional dealmaker John Whitney to new office in city
- Key hire follows launch of South Yorkshire Growth Equity Fund
- Foresight now has 14 offices across the UK and Ireland to support local small businesses
Sheffield, November 2025: Foresight Group (“Foresight”), a leading regional private equity and infrastructure investment manager, has strengthened its Northern investment team with the appointment of John Whitney.
John is based in Foresight's new office in Sheffield where he will support the deployment and management of the South Yorkshire Growth Equity Fund, which is dedicated to supporting the growth of SMEs across the region including Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
The Fund will provide equity investments of up to £2 million, typically part of larger deals of up to £15 million through co-investing alongside Foresight's other funds.
John brings significant experience and local knowledge to Foresight having spent more than a decade working with ambitious small and medium-sized businesses at Grant Thornton's corporate finance team in Sheffield. He will work closely with the wider Yorkshire private equity team to identify and support promising companies with long-term growth potential.
The Sheffield office on Concourse Way marks the next step in Foresight’s commitment to building a strong local presence across the UK and Ireland, where it now has teams in 14 locations.
John Whitney, Senior Investment Manager at Foresight Group, said: “I’m really pleased to be joining Foresight, launching the new Sheffield office and building on the great foundations Foresight has in Yorkshire.
"I know from my previous role what an outstanding innovative and industrious place South Yorkshire is, and I’m looking forward to working with founders and management teams to help them achieve their growth plans.”
Claire Alvarez, Partner at Foresight Group, added: “John's appointment and the opening of our Sheffield office marks another important step in our commitment to supporting SMEs across the North.
"In Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds and now Sheffield we've built a strong, passionate local team to ensure we’re well placed to support the region’s business community and help deliver long-term growth.
"Regional SMEs are the unsung heroes of the UK economy and by helping them grow with our experience, insight and connections, as well as funding of course, we know we can achieve great things."
