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James Dargan

Director

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As a Director at Sovereign, I have the great fortune to meet with talented entrepreneurs and hear the stories of how they built their businesses, many times from grassroots. Having the opportunity to partner them to help the next step in their journey unfold is something I really enjoy.

I joined Sovereign from Lazard in 2018 where I worked in M&A, specialising in Technology and Education. Prior to that I was at PwC in Transaction Services where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

At Sovereign, I have worked on a number of deals, including the management buy-out of Skerritts and the nine subsequent bolt-on acquisitions, and the creation of a trust and corporate services group through three acquisitions. Other deals have included the take-private of Murgitroyd PLC and the platform investment of Premier Park and its subsequent transformational bolt-on of UKCPM. Most recently, I led our investment in LB Group, and look forward to working with the business on their acquisition program.

From a portfolio perspective, I have led three exits including the sale of BIMM, which we sold to ICG plc following the acquisitions of Performers College and Northern Ballet School.

The team place real focus and resource on really getting underneath the sectors we invest in and building strong relationships with the owners and management teams we work with.

As a team we place both focus and resource on getting underneath the sectors we invest in and building strong relationships with the owners and management teams we work with. It's this supportive environment that really reflects Sovereign's approach to investment and our ability to support strategic growth through Buy & Build.

Outside of the office, I enjoy watching sports, especially rugby.

Areas of Interest

  • Education & Training
  • Business & Technology Services
  • Technology Transformation

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