Investment Director
An Investment Director at Sovereign, I joined the team in 2019 to focus on opportunities in the financial services sector. I arrived following five fantastic years of strategy consulting with Monitor Deloitte, where I worked across industries and disciplines but with a strong focus in innovation and growth hacking for financial services firms.
Having worked in a small family publishing company for many years, when the time came to sell the business in 2017 I was heavily involved in the sale process. During this time I was introduced to the dynamics of both trade and private equity bidders, which I found fascinating. Having experienced the challenges, and eventual joys, of selling a family business from one side of the desk, joining Sovereign presented the perfect opportunity to continue that work from the other angle.
In my time at Sovereign I've played a lead role in our investment in LB Group and ongoing work in the accountancy space. I am also involved in our work with Skerritts, the successful IFA business, helping to deliver transformational growth through both investment in technology and carefully selected acquisitions. In addition, I am supporting Murgitroyd, one of the largest IP practices in Europe, as it continues its international expansion. It's a real pleasure to work closely with such talented and focused management teams and support their ambitions to develop and grow their businesses with Sovereign's partnership.
I find that the most important thing when engaging in discussions with business founders and owners is to listen carefully, understand their ambitions and then be honest about whether Sovereign is the right partner for them. I have always found the most productive professional relationships are founded on this sort of openness and trust. We can crunch all the numbers in the world, but the most important thing is always the cultural fit and alignment of objectives from the very start.
A long time ago I was a philosophy student and pursued that interest to a PhD from Durham – I still harbour hopes of returning to the lecture hall one day. I have, in the past, been a keen surfer, racket sports player and guitarist, but today I'm gladly sacrificing some devotion to those hobbies in favour of spending time with my wife and two young children.
