Nick Williams, UK Representative for Invest Alberta Corporation (IAC)

Introduce yourself:

Hi, I am Nick Williams; U.K. Representative for the Invest Alberta Corporation (IAC) – a crown corporation of Canada and the economic development agency for the state of Alberta, Canada. My role is work with British businesses who have the need, want, and interest to expand to North America and find opportunities for these businesses to catalyse on. I help companies by aligning them strategically with a market of their choice and acting as a quasi-project manager in their expansion plans making necessary introductions along the way to ensure a smooth landing. I am also the owner of White Patch Consulting Ltd, a bespoke growth and internationalisation firm working with ambitious and innovative SMEs to assist in finding strategic, high-value business development opportunities, fundraising and bid-writing; notably in Renewables, Defence, and Aviation.

Career highlight:

The highlight of my career has been seeing a former client win the King’s Award for Enterprise followed by an MBE. A personal highlight would have been completing the British Army All Arms Physical Training Instructor course, fulfilling a lifelong ambition of becoming a PTI.

Name three words that describe your personality:

Outgoing, Innovative, Organised.

What’s the best thing about pro-manchester?

Pro-Manchester is without a doubt the best subscription service I pay for. The events, insight, speakers and connections you make being a Pro-Manchester member are outstanding, I leave every event with at least 3 follow ups and have won clients in both of my roles. Pro-Manchester is a very supportive network and their introductions model is one of the best out there; no guarding, no additional fees, just “Who do you want to be introduced to this month?”.

What are your priorities for 2025?

My priorities for 2025 is to continue to assist U.K. businesses to access new markets, win business, win bids, win funding, and generate revenue for my clients.

What do you think are the most important things going on in Manchester at the moment?

Green Tech and Renewables. Greater Manchester is quickly placing itself at the forefront of renewables and green innovation. Everyone should be looking at what Manchester is doing and how they can get involved, the future is now.

Favourite meeting place in Manchester?

Socials in Cloud23 or Sandinista. Business in Manchester Central or ABC Buildings.

Are their any particular types of businesses that you would like to meet?

I am interested in speaking to any business who has plans to expand to North America and/or increase revenue in the U.K. and Europe. In particular, companies operating in the renewables space, advanced manufacturing, aviation, defence and AI/Technology.