How did your career in finance start?
I studied at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, and I particularly enjoyed how my course combined economics with perspectives from both the sciences and the humanities. Finance is a large and diverse sector, which was attractive to me as it gave me the opportunity to start my career with space to manoeuvre. One commonality is that the people tend to be driven and that was a key motivator for me starting a career in finance.
During my university course, I spent a summer studying at the LSE. Its links and proximity to banks and investment funds gave me a sense of how my learning could be applied. I decided to do a master’s in accounting and finance in London, and joined KPMG’s transaction services team after that, in 2013.
What attracted you to Lazard and then to Apax?
I studied for the ACA whilst working at KPMG. It was a really useful crash course in every element of financial review. Whilst studying I was working in the financial due diligence team, interacting with investment bankers and consultants. Although I enjoyed that, I decided that I wanted to be closer to managing the entire deal process. After passing my exams, I joined the M&A team at Lazard in January 2015, to specialise in natural resources. After three years, Apax approached me to work in their large-cap technology team. Technology wasn’t my area of expertise, and I wasn’t looking to move, but their intellectual curiosity and investor mindset persuaded me to take the plunge. In 2019 I was promoted to senior associate, and switched to the consumer team. Everyone can be a consumer, and that actually complicates things, as everyone has an opinion on the attractiveness of investments in that space – you therefore need to look at the underlying logic.
What consumer transactions stood out for you?
The 2019 acquisition of Baltic Classifieds Group (BCG), an online classifieds group. Our consumer team’s experience meant we had an instant rapport with the management team, who could see we were one level above the competition in terms of our knowledge of their market. I was involved with end-to-end deal execution, support for bolt-on acquisitions and portfolio management. When I left Apax, BCG asked me to join them as an independent contractor to help manage their IPO. That was a fantastic experience – not everyone gets to see an IPO from the inside up close. They listed on the LSE in July 2021.
I mentor and train team members, which gives me awareness and shows me areas I can develop for myself
Why the move to 3i?
Again, it was all about the people. I enjoyed being close to the management team in the BCG deal and wanted more exposure to the mid-market rather than large-cap companies. Also, 3i is quite unusual in the mid-market space – it is well-established with a FTSE 100 listing, and proprietary balance sheet. I joined in 2021 and was promoted to director in June 2025. As a director, I focus on identifying, evaluating and executing consumer deals, as well as supporting companies we have invested in to grow and bringing them through to a successful exit. As a director I have more ownership – I am trusted to look at new investment opportunities, as well as investigate new areas that might not previously have been an area of interest.
What are your recent transactions?
We exited from branded premium pet food business MPM in September 2025. Exits are challenging in today’s volatile economic environment, particularly in the consumer space. We had to deal with a constantly changing landscape, particularly driven by US tariffs, given MPM’s international exposure across different markets. The company was sold to Partners Group, generating gross proceeds to 3i of £400m and a 3.2x money multiple.
My role in the exit process involved defining the equity story for the next owner, and ensuring the sell-side due diligence reports evidenced a consistent narrative, while being honest and transparent around the macro-environmental challenges. I was also closely involved in negotiating the deal with Partners Group.
What are your future ambitions?
I want to source more investments for 3i, by spending time deepening my network in the consumer space and continually learning from my peers, partners in the firm, and fellow portfolio company board members. I also mentor and train team members, which gives me a level of self-awareness and shows me areas I can develop for myself.
