Scotland’s Emerging Dealmaker of the Year praised for post deal commitment

It was his dedication post-deal that gave Foresight Group’s Harry Staples the edge for the judges in a hotly contested Emerging Dealmaker category.

The senior investment manager took the prestigious prize at the Scotland Dealmakers Awards 2026, held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central this Wednesday.

The other contenders for the title were Anthony Kelly of the Scottish National Investment Bank, Conor Adamson of Henderson Loggie, George Wait of EY Corporate Finance, Sarah Dick of Addleshaw Goddard, and Sean Parr of HNH Partners.

“The award reflects the wider team as much as it does me, Harry said. “We have a great team at Foresight and I’m fortunate to work alongside people who are genuinely committed to supporting ambitious businesses.”

People who have worked with Harry point to how involved he stays after completion.

Tod Harrison, chair of Welding Engineers, said Harry genuinely wants a business and its people to succeed.

Harry said: “Investing is about building long-term relationships with management teams and supporting them beyond the initial transaction.”

Foresight announced its investment in Welding Engineers in December last year. The business was founded in Glasgow in the 1960s and has grown from a family firm into a national provider with 180 employees across six UK branches.

Foresight intends to back it with strategic acquisitions to consolidate its position as a market leader.

Harry said: “It’s a family-owned business, the backbone of the Scottish economy, and the transaction enabled shareholders to realise the value of years of hard work while supporting them through the next stage of growth.”

His other recent deals include Foresight’s investment in Mclaggan + co, which completed in November 2025 and funded its acquisition of Customworks.

Harry previously worked at Maven Capital Partners and says each transaction teaches him something he carries into the next.

He credits Foresight’s resilience for a strong two years, despite a market he describes as challenging.

Harry said: “The local environment has been challenging over the last 24 months but we’ve continued to have a successful period by backing great Scottish businesses.

These include companies such as Graham + Sibbald and most recently Strathmore Foods. A big part of that is the strength and resilience of the wider Foresight team, alongside our ability to listen to what businesses need and be flexible in how we structure our funding and support.”

For Harry, the appeal of Scottish dealmaking is in its size.

“Scotland has a close-knit and extremely well-connected dealmaking community, he said.

“Foresight is deeply embedded in that network and building strong relationships with the community is a really important part of what we do.”