How did you get into M&A?
After graduating, I wanted a role that added real value. I became a contractor for KPMG, working on strategy, commercial diligence and M&A projects all over the world. All of my work was really on the buy side. I loved it and learned a lot. It was a serious baptism of fire.
I finished an MBA at the University of Newcastle in 2011 and, still at KPMG, started doing post-merger integration straight afterwards. I wanted to get involved in the full life cycle of business growth, especially through acquisition. I wanted to find something more UK-focused, so I started actively looking for something in the UK mid-market.
Why mid-market?
I felt the larger end of the market was too focused on the transaction. It seemed to me that corporate finance advisers were there for the deal itself, and things before and after were down to management. I wanted to make transactions more strategic for clients, and be paid to say no to deals, not just yes.
In the regional mid-market, a strategic approach is rare, as most advisers have narrower experience on tasks rather than complex, value-creating projects that last many years. I wanted to be part of an advisory team that saw the full end-to-end life cycle of building value.
You ran your own business?
I set up my own small business in 2012 making and selling mirrors – House of Ducentis – which gave me the insight of an entrepreneur. I was able to see the things that created value and, more importantly, the things that didn’t, especially from advisers. Being able to see how value came from running the business day-to-day gave me a different perspective.
What is your current role?
I joined Price Bailey in 2013, became senior manager in 2017, director in 2018 and partner by 2019, at the age of 31. My client advisory remit is to help companies that want to grow aggressively and who are led by ambitious and credible management teams. We look at how to build up a business’s value prior to a preferred exit route, plan that with real data and insight, lead on the transactions and then support the ongoing strategy execution globally.
It’s a real combination of strategy and corporate finance that relies on a diverse range of skills, varying from a core of ACAs through to maths, economics, psychology and beyond. Being a member of the Corporate Finance Faculty has also helped in my career progression.
How important is building client relationships?
Very important – we’re a relationship-centric business. My team has been helping some clients since 2013, nearly as long as I’ve been at Price Bailey.
That was the year we helped Yanto Barker, former professional cyclist turned entrepreneur, and his team scale up his cycling apparel brand Le Col based on an ambitious, well researched global expansion plan. Since then, we have guided the company through multiple funding rounds with angels, crowdfunders and institutional investors.
We completed our most recent funding round with Le Col and Puma Private Equity in October 2019 (£2.35m). Underpinning all of this is a strong relationship and trusted advice.
Do you have any tips for making partner?
At first I thought just working hard and getting good qualifications were all that mattered, but there’s more to it than that. You have to be able to deliver a solution, not just interpret the law or be a good accountant. You have to build quality relationships and use the qualifications and knowledge to create material value.
Price Bailey has pushed me forward at a very fast pace. Age shouldn’t really come into it – as long as you’re showing good judgement, you have a lot of licence.
I’m lucky to work with an incredible group of peers, friends and clients – and putting all of them together with a mandate to work with high-growth, high-potential businesses is a really exciting challenge.
